David Lange
David Lange was born on the 4th of August 1942 and died on August 5th 2005. Lange served as the 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. He headed the Labour Party's fourth government, which would go down in history as one of the most reforming administrative governments in New Zealand's history. An outstanding orator, Lange was well known for his cunning and witty responses and his eloquence. He was the voice of New Zealand in the anti-nuclear struggle. Lange was responsible for initiating parliamentary changes in terms of New Zealand's attitudes toward the use of nuclear weaponry. He would pass legislation, disallowing the entry of US nuclear armed/powered ships into New Zealand's waters, ultimately offending Australia and the United States. They saw Lange's actions as a "breach of treaty obligations", which lead to the suspension of the ANZUS Alliance temporarily. As seen below, Lange debated the topic that "nuclear weapons are morally indefensible" to great success at an Oxford Union debate on live TV in March 1985.
Below: David Lange debating highlights from the Oxford Union debate in 1985. CND - Campaign for Nuclear DisarmamentThis protest group was founded in 1959 in Christchurch, New Zealand, and later was carried through to Auckland in the 1960’s. It was predominantly from Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), in conjunction with the peace media that would lead to the evolution of Green Peace New Zealand in the 1970’s. In the 1960’s CND would organize speeches and marches to highlight the dangers of the French nuclear tests across the pacific. In 1963 CND presented a petition to the government urging them to go ‘anti-nuclear’ with some 80,000 signatures. It was New Zealand’s biggest petition since the 1893 one that demanded voting rights for women. Two leaders from the CND went on to achieve careers in parliament. CND President Richard Northey ONZM was MP for Eden from 1984 to 1990 and MP for Onehunga from, 1993 to 1996. His Vice President Mike Rann CNZM was premier of South Australia from 2002-2011. It would be the significant protest efforts of CND in correlation with Greenpeace that would later lead to anti-nuclear legislation being passed in 1987.
Below: A short video of a CND protest march- in this clip the marchers reach the summit of the Rimutaka Hill Road in Wellington. CLICK HERE Norman KirkNorman Kirk was born on the 6th of January 1923 and passed away on the 31st of August 1974. He was the 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand, serving from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. Kirk also lead the Labour party for a period of nine years between 1965-1974. Kirk was responsible for heading protest action against the French nuclear tests at the Mururoa Atoll. He was responsible for sending two navy frigates, HMNZS Canterbury and Otago into the test site. These protests would achieve little gain as the new French president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, ordered that the tests move underground in 1974- ultimately failing to achieve the goal of discontinuation of nuclear testing in the pacific.
French GovernmentThe French government were one of the leading causes for New Zealand's sting anti-nuclear stance. They would conduct several nuclear tests at the atolls in French Polynesia, sparking up widespread protest action from New Zealand society. They would be in the political limelight, facing heavy Australian and New Zealand criticism for their continued conduction of nuclear tests across the pacific. This would later see New Zealand and Australia take further political action in 1973, as they took France to the International Court of Justice.
Right: A 20 minute documentary, with detailed interviews with some locals themselves as they refer to some of the key individuals and groups mentioned above. |
National Party - Sir Robert MuldoonMuldoon was born on the 25th September 1921 and died on the 5th of August 1992. Sir Robert Muldoon served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975-1984. He was succeeded by the influential anti-nuclear figure, David Lange. During his reign as Prime Minister, he headed the National Party. Muldoon was in a contradictory state of mind to that of Lange as he believed New Zealand was to be held accountable for its participation in the 1951 ANZUS Alliance and support the Australian and American use of nuclearized weapons. Muldoon’s political perspective of the developing anti-nuclear situation was not supported by the New Zealand public, which eventually lead to the demise of the National Party in 1984, as David Lange and the Labour Party took over. The elections in 1984 were attended to earlier than expected due to a decision made by a National Party Member of Parliament, Marilyn Wang. She would withdraw her support for the national caucus on June 14. This was because Muldoon had fiercely voiced his opinion against her support of the Labour anti-nuclear movement the previous day. The voting polls would open on the 14th July, with Labour winning in a whitewash. Muldoon’s position of supporting the ANZUS Alliance was severely overruled by the strong anti-nuclear New Zealand public. The National Party was more concerned with foreign relationships, rather than listening to the voices of New Zealanders and taking into account the morality of nuclear weapons- ultimately leading to their downfall. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984.
Green PeaceGreenpeace New Zealand was officially formed in 1974, despite having significant contributions to nuclear protesting in the years leading up to its official consolidation. It was the anti-nuclear movement that saw the founding of Greenpeace in New Zealand. With the French conducting nuclear tests in the atolls at French Polynesia, Greenpeace would send several vessels to the test sites in an act of protest. As pat of the actions taken throughout this campaign, Greenpeace & CND would send the sailing yacht ‘Vega’ (renamed Greenpeace III) to the Mururoa Atoll as an expression of the anger and dissatisfaction that existed in New Zealand. Upon arrival, Greenpeace activist David McTaggart was physically beaten by the French Navy and had his ship damaged. In an act of retaliation by the French Government they would later bomb the Greenpeace vessel 'The Rainbow Warrior' in 1985.
George Shultz (USA Government)George Shultz was born on December the 13th 1920, and was the United States Secretary of the State between 1982-1989. He was part of managing the New Zealand-US relationship as part of the ANZUS Alliance. Five days after his defeat in the election, the outgoing Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, met Shultz in Wellington for an ANZUS council meeting. The newly appointed Prime Minister, David Lange, labeled this as 'a calculated attempt to embarrass the new Labour Government' and declared that the council communiqué was 'intellectual dishonesty which allowed the representatives of a defeated government to put their country's name to a document that all who signed it knew did not represent the views of the country's future government'. Lange understood the importance of the ANZUS Alliance and suggested that they could reach a compromise, Shultz believed he had Lange’s reassurance that Labour would be able to change its policies. However despite talk of an agreement, Labour would deny the United States’ request for the USS Buchanan to enter New Zealand waters in 1984 and would pass anti-nuclear legislation in 1987. Shultz remarked that after the unfolding of these events that he felt betrayed. Washington severed military and intelligence ties as George Schultz confirmed to Lange that the United States could no longer maintain its security guarantee to New Zealand, although the ANZUS treaty structure remained in place. Shultz was an important political figure in New Zealand’s anti-nuclear protest movement.
Above: George Shultz (left) and David Lange (right) are pictured in conversation. 1988 Anti-Nuclear Documentary |
Top of page (left): A photo of the nuclear powered Truxtun that visited New Zealand in 1976. This photograph was taken on the 3rd of January 1989 on its way to San Diego.
Top of page (right): A 1976 anti-nuclear protest in Auckland, from the Sunday Star-Times archive.
Top of page (right): A 1976 anti-nuclear protest in Auckland, from the Sunday Star-Times archive.