The return of Rainbow Warrior
p. 26 · Read in the full issue
THE timing was unfortunate, to say the least.
Deputy Prime Minister Don McKinnon had barely got of! the plane from Noumea when the ghost ol the Rainbow Warrior, which has haunted New Zealand-France relations for six years, rose again from the sea.
The arrest of French secret agent Gerald Andries in Switzerland for his involvement in the Greenpeace ship’s sinking (on an outstanding Interpol warrant which just about everyone had forgotten) threatened to reopen wounds in the relationship that appeared to have well and truly healed.
At the time of writing, the outcome and the repercussions of another potentially bitter spat between New Zealand and France could only be guessed at. It seemed clear that the issue, with its complex national and international, diplo matic and judicial, implications would take some time to resolve.
Meanwhile, putting aside the rights and
wrongs, it can only be hoped that the Andries affair is not allowed to hinder the development of a new era of cooperation between New Zealand and New Caledonia, its nearest neighbour an era heralded by McKinnon’s visit. A further impediment to a new close and warm relationship would not be in the interests of New Zealand, the French territory or the Pacific community at large.
Relations were far from easy throughout the ’Bos. New Zealand-backed South Pacific Forum moves for New Cale donia's reinscription on the United Nations list of non-self governing territories, support Paris and Noumea saw as unfriendly and gratuitous interference in their internal affairs.
New Zealand was bitterly outspoken against the force the French government exercised in combatting the Kanak
independence movement.
The Rainbow Warrior affair and its aftermath, which pitted France and New Zealand into a headlong clash, merely served to underline caldoche suspicion and resentment of New Zealand.
They were, in short, not good neighbours. The Matignon Accords, w hich were w armly welcomed by New Zealand, the French government’s decision to move towards allowing New Caledonia to integrate with the Pacific political and economic community and the apparent despatch of the Rainbow Warrior alfair to the history books (scaled by former Prime Minister Michel Rocard’s voyage of atonement to New Zealand in April) paved the way for a change.
McKinnon's November visit (scheduled last January but postponed on the outbreak of the Gulf War) cemented this change in place. He was apparently warmly welcomed, given access to a wide range of community leaders and politicians and received a commitment that France would soon announce a major liberalisation ol' trade with the territory.
New Zealand's official contacts with New Caledonia have always been through Paris, effectively through the office of the f rench government's High Commissioner in Noumea. Signifi cantly, McKinnon was invited, even encouraged, to establish direct links with the provinces, particularly in relation to the use of New Zealand aid (modest at NZS2OO,OOO a year, but well up on the 525,000 of 1985, and mostly used for educational training).
McKinnon, for his part, was full of praise for the evidence lie saw of France's commitment to improving and building up
the infrastructure in the provinces outside Nou mea.
As far as the still vexed issue of independeno is concerned, he said all the right things from th( French point of view. Total independence fron France was not inevitable when the 10-year perkx laid down in the Matignon Accords ends in 1988 he said. Many forms of government that woulc give greater autonomy could be adopted, includ ing the New Zealand-Cook Islands formula of self government in free association with France.
A final decision could only be based on th< preferences of a clear majority in each of the mail population groups, and if they continued to worl together as they are, the final outcome could b< more of a technicality than an abrupt and majo
change.
New Zealand, McKinnon said, wanted to bi seen by New Caledonia as a friendly, non
threatening, neighbour, ready to work co
operatively, with full understanding of thi
problems it faced and above all not dictatorial, or judgmental “We will not be telling them how to do everything.”
McKinnon’s attitude was such that apparently it even drew praise from Jacques Lafleur, leader of the loyalist RPCR, whc a few years ago found it difficult to say anything good aboui New Zealand and New Zealand attitudes to New Caledonia McKinnon invited him and a number of others to New Zealand, convinced that an increased level of personal contact is the best way of breaking down whatever lingering barrier: there are.
The promise of New Caledonia freeing up its rigid import restrictions was of singular importance to McKinnon and a nine-member trade mission timed to coincide with his visit tc Noumea.
Past protectionist policies (exercised much more strictly in New Caledonia than in French Polynesia) produced a situation in which nearly 50 per cent of the territory’s imports come all the way from metropolitan France. New Zealand, deprived ol access for most of its products, currently supplies only three per cent.
Given its proximity, New Zealand could be expected tc increase its share when import restrictions are lifted as was promised. New Zealand, in turn, has concluded a quarantine agreement which should make it easier for New Caledonia to sell its tropical fruits and other produce in this country.
But the new era is not just about two-way trade. Both sides have been talking about all forms of economic co-operation, technology transfer, joint ventures, investment and language training in both directions.
Such moves would indeed bring them closer together andl would indeed start to change New Caledonia from an isolated!
French outpost into an integral part of the Pacific community..
The fear is that if Franco-New Zealand relations deteriorate again, France could delay, or even halt, the promised trade liberalisation programme on the basis that it could benefit neighbouring New Zealand more than anything else..
It could be a great pity if the arrest of a Frenchman ini Switzerland were, by reviving one of the saddest chapters ini Pacific history, to stymie New Caledonia’s emergence into, and acceptance by, its own geographical! region.