✨ Governor-General's Speech
No. 35 739
THE
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
EXTRAORDINARY
Published by Authority
WELLINGTON, TUESDAY, 10 JUNE 1958
THE Second Session of the Thirty-second Parliament of New Zealand was this day opened by the Governor-General, when His Excellency was pleased to make the following statement of the causes of the calling of this session of Parliament together:
HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
When in January last I addressed you in Parliament assembled, I intimated that the transaction of general business and the consideration of my Government’s legislative proposals would be dealt with in a session to be convened later in the year. In the intervening period my Ministers have formulated their programme in the light of developments here at home and overseas.
In international affairs there has been much of significance demanding the closest attention of my Ministers. Of particular importance are the exchanges between the Western powers and the Soviet Union concerning the proposed “summit” conference. It has seemed to my advisers that, despite past disappointments, such a conference, adequately prepared in preliminary negotiations, might yield valuable results for world peace.
One of the most pressing problems is disarmament. It is also one of the most intractable. The possibility of surprise attack in this nuclear age creates an atmosphere of constant tension in which New Zealand’s principal allies find it necessary to maintain retaliatory strength in instant readiness. My Government’s objective is a comprehensive programme of disarmament, with effective inspection measures, which would relax this dangerous tension and permit a substantial increase in economic aid to the less-developed countries.
As a first step, my Ministers believe, an agreement for the cessation of nuclear weapon testing, with inspection, would have substantial advantages. Although it would not in itself bring about a reduction of armaments, it would help to ensure that the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons was not increased; it would halt radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions, a matter so disturbing to world opinion; and it would contribute, they consider, to a more favourable climate for negotiations on other international problems.
The preservation of peace and security in the countries of South and South-East Asia is clearly of considerable significance to New Zealand, and my Ministers continue to attach great importance to membership of SEATO, which has a valuable part to play in the defence of this part of the world against aggression and subversion.Next Page →
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VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 1958, No 35
NZLII —
NZ Gazette 1958, No 35
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏛️ Governor-General's Opening Speech to Parliament
🏛️ Governance & Central Administration10 June 1958
Parliament, Governor-General, session opening, international affairs, disarmament, nuclear testing, SEATO, South-East Asia
- Governor-General