Winston's counterpart in Australia, and even Helen's counterpart, have become vocal on Taiwan's proposed referendum on UN membership. Foreign Minister Smith says that the referendum is "completely inappropriate", "we are very concerned to ensure that action is not taken in Taiwan or in the Taiwanese Strait which would cause concern or potential for disharmony in the strait itself," he said. Meanwhile PM Rudd apparently said that the Taiwan authority's declaration to hold a "referendum on UN membership in the name of Taiwan" was not conducive to the peace and stability in the region.
Now Australia seems pretty worried about this referendum. Why is New Zealand not saying more about this issue? Is New Zealand's stake in peace and stability in North Asia almost as large as Australia's? Is New Zealand not supposed to be taking leadership roles wherever possible in accordance with the advice of leading communication specialists with international experience (present NZ as a role model for the world...a country that values peace and harmony....)?
We hope that there is no connection between NZ silence and the glowing links between the Maori Party and Taiwan - ancestral homeland of the Maori - and desires by the Labour Party to have the option of Maori as a coalition partner post election 2008.
