US warship bound for New Zealand
The last anti-nuclear barrier is set to fall, with the United States sending a warship to New Zealand to mark the navy’s 75th anniversary.
Prime Minister John Key has announced the destroyer USS Sampson will take part in the celebrations - the first US warship to dock at a New Zealand port since the Anzus bust up over New Zealand’s anti-nuclear legislation in the mid1980s.
The Sampson is a guided missile destroyer and our Government has to be satisfied it does not carry nuclear weapons to approve the port visit.
In a statement, Key said he had granted approval for the ship’s visit ‘‘after careful consideration of the advice provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’’.
‘‘New Zealand’s legislation also does not allow ships which are nuclear propelled into New Zealand and the advice I received from officials is that the USS Sampson is not nuclear powered.’’
The process for considering whether to approve the USS Sampson’s visit was the same as for all other ships attend the naval celebrations, and all military ships visiting New Zealand since the antinuclear law was enacted, Key said.
‘‘The visit is a further reflection of the depth of the bilateral relationship with the United States,’’ he said.
US Vice President Joe Biden announced in Auckland earlier this year the US Government would accept the invitation to join other nations in New Zealand to celebrate the navy’s birthday.
Biden said the relationship was now back to the state it was in when the two countries were ‘‘traditional allies’’. But there would be no step back into ANZUS, the three-nation defence pact with the US and Australia that came to an end with the anti-nuclear policy.
Biden said the US ‘‘gladly accepts the invitation,’’ to send a ship.
But he did not name a ship, or say what type of vessel it would be.
There had been speculation the US might send a non-contentious vessel such as a hospital ship but sources indicated it would be less contentious to send a ship that did not stand out from others taking part as obviously different.
‘‘New Zealand's legislation also does not allow ships which are nuclear propelled into New Zealand and the advice I received from officials is that the USS Sampson is not nuclear powered’’
John Key