Seeking a

Pacific Federation

A BOOK just published in New

Zealand calls for the settingup of a South Pacific Federation, in which Australia and New Zealand would be joined by many of the small island states of the region. The author is Jack Ridley, an engineer and former National Party member of parliament.

Ridley argues the success of the Euro pean Economic Community (EEC) and, closer to home, the Association of South east Asian Nations (ASEAN) does pose a threat to a fragmented South Pacific.

“With the present economic situation in New Zealand, and sell-outs and takeov ers by Australia and the disturbances in the South Pacific islands, we urgently need to do something to protect our position,” he writes.

Faking the European Economic Com munity as the yardstick, Ridley said the South Pacific Federation would have as its aims; • Development of natural resources, tariff elimination and currency stabilisa tion • Defence of the region and elimina tion of nuclear weapons and testing • Support for the Law of the Sea • Promotion of tourism • Development of efficient sea and air

transportation.

The federation would have only those powers which were necessary for achiev ing these objectives, and powers would only be exercised with the consensus of all members. Ridley, on the basis of population and economic factors, has set out his ideas for representation on the

federation’s governing body. Australia

would have 24 members. New Zealand 7, Papua New Guinea 5, Fiji, Solomon Is lands, Western Samoa and New Caledo nia 2 each, with one representative from each of Vanuatu, French Polynesia, Ton ga, Kiribati and the Cook Islands (with Tuvalu being omitted without any ex

planation).

The book has been given additional authority in the form of an introduction by former New Zealand Governor- General Sir David Beattie, who says Rid ley’s ideas need to be heard. The book

comes against a background of growing

debate in both Australia and New Zea land about the future relationship of the two countries. A great many leaders of opinion in New Zealand are talking in terms of a full currency union between the two countries now that the Closer Economic Relationship (CER) is almost

complete.

Such a currency union would inevit

ably lead to common policies on tariffs, with the prospect of full political union in the future (with the Australian Con stitution containing provision for New Zealand to become a state of the Austra lian Commonwealth making such a move

relatively simple the provision dates

from the 1890 s when New Zealand with drew at the last moment from what was to have been the Confederation of Au stralasia). The closer economic ties be tween the two countries has immense im plications for the small South Pacific states.

Ridley acknowledges the development

of various regional bodies, including the Forum, but maintains that none of them has the capacity to undertake full re sources development. “It is accepted that the Pacific way is the way of consensus but a start must be made somewhere and the basic concept laid down. We cannot go on having a proliferation of organisa tions.”

He says that the island territories have considerable constraints on their econo mic development. These include the fact that some countries are still ruled by a colonial power, but more commonly the strain of having to finance government programmes internally, the high cost of

imported fuels, an over-reliance on im ported food, lack of diversity of exports and an overdependence on foreign aid.

The book argues that only as part of a South Pacific Federation will the re sources be found to develop these econo mies to their fullest extent.

Ridley’s arguments will be dismissed summarily by many. The idea of sur rendering some powers, so soon after independence, will not sit well in some island capitals. But the point he makes about the inability of most of the small island states to develop their economies beyond being aid-reliant is valid; many experts have assumed that will always be the case. It is also undeniable that the world is grouping into trading blocs, and is it possible for £very small nations to survive on their own? Australia and New Zealand are moving together, and the new trans-Tasman relationship will be crucial to the immediate neighbours.

Ridley’s book while not perhaps the right answer at least starts to pose some of the relevant questions about the future. • The Tasman Challenge: Towards a South Pacific Federation by Jack. Ridley, published by Moana Press, 19 Roderick St, Tauranga, New Zea land. □

Expensive defects

A KIRIBATI parliamentary committee has launched an investigation into the repair of the Moanaraoi in Fiji. The ship was dry-docked in Suva earlier this year and repair costs amounted to |U5225,000. The British government paid for half the cost.

But the Government of Kiribati alleges the expensive repair work had defects.

Kaiarake Taburuea, the chairman of the

Kiribati Shipping Corporation, which

runs Moanaraoi, said the vessel could no longer go on long voyages and had been withdrawn from all overseas trips.

Export loss

A SHIPPING executive in Papua New Guinea said the country lost at least SUS 42 million in log exports in the past two vears because of the lack of control in tne use of overseas ships. Wayne Cross, a director of Papua Gulf Snip ping, said freight rates had increased by at least 114 per cent in that period. □