New Zealand and ANZUS

Abstract

ANZUS originated in 1951 as a broad defensive agreement among New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. The treaty came to provide the context in which the three countries cooperated militarily, but it has never been invoked by New Zealand. The Labour government elected to office in New Zealand in July 1984 had a mandate to make New Zealand nuclear-free. The policy is a statement of concern in the face of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. New Zealand is not turning its back on the Western world, nor do New Zealanders believe they are buying immunity from nuclear conflict.

The policy has affected access by U.S. naval vessels to New Zealand ports; however, New Zealand cannot accept that occasional visits should be the litmus test of the Alliance. The U.S. measures taken as a consequence can only weaken New Zealand's ability to support Western interests in the South Pacific. The relationship between New Zealand and the United States has been diminished. We must set about rebuilding it.