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Mr. Rippon said that there was no real practical alternative. But while we negotiated with the Council of Ministers we maintained close consultation with the New Zealand Government. Sir Arthur Galsworthy said there was a constant flow of information and a high degree of co-operation between the two Governments.
6. Mr. Kirk asked whether satisfactory terms for New Zealand were regarded by the British Government as an essential requirement for the success of the negotiations. Mr. Rippon said that we could not go to the Community with a list of conditions and expect a satisfactory negotiation. We were already doing our best not simply for British interests but for New Zealand ones as well. It would be a wrong approach to set out preconditions, although it was fairly obvious that certain requirements-what we called fair terms-would have to be met.
Document No. 24
TEXT OF A SPEECH GIVEN BY THE RIGHT HON. GEOFFREY RIPPON, Q C, MP, CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER, AT A PARLIAMENTARY LUNCH AT WELLINGTON ON 22 SEPTEMBER,
1970
I appreciate Mr. Prime Minister what you said about the way in which the New Zealand Government and its people endorse the British Government's reasons for applying for membership of the EEC. You spoke of New Zealand fighting for her economic life, I would say we are fighting with you and for you for your and our economic life.
When I took over from Tony Barber as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in tragic circumstances following Iain Macleod's death he told me of your Government's kind invitation conveyed to him through Jack Marshall to visit New Zealand. I felt at once that, if you would extend the invitation to me, I would want to come as soon as possible, because I realise as Tony Barber realised and as my Cabinet colleagues also realised and as any British Minister in my present job would realise that it is among my most serious responsibilities to understand thoroughly the nature of the problems which our membership of the European Communities would create for New Zealand.
Farming problems
And that is why I am very glad to be here and very grateful to you Sir and to your Government for extending this magnificent hospitality to me and for organising a most valuable, and a most instructive and an extremely enjoyable programme for me. As a result I feel I have been able to see at first hand the nature of the problems which are of vital concern to New Zealand's farmers. And I may say here that I am very grateful to those farmers and others who have given up so much of their time to tell me the facts about their farms, and their work and their dependence upon the maintenance of farm exports.
I would like to make clear at the outset that our vision of European unity is an outward looking one, and you have referred very generously to this Sir, as is our decision to retain a British military presence East of Suez and to remain with you and our other Commonwealth partners in Malaysia.
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