No-one knows exactly the percentage of deformed babies and adult victims of cancer due to radioactivity. Reliable investigation, however, shows that these have increased following a rise in the level of nuclear fall-out. Mr Northey condemned the continuing presence of the French in the Pacific as "perpetuating the limitation on the rights of French Polynesians". He stressed that further nuclear testing by any nation puts pressure on other countries to test nuclear weapons and makes future war more likely. New Zealand should regard the French tests as a unique chance to oppose one particular aspect of nuclear armament.

Mr. F. Saemalo, President of the Association of South Pacific Students emphasised the French Government's refusal to consider the rights of the French Polynesians and the obvious hypocrisy of their claim that the tests are harmless. Why not therefore explode the bombs in Paris? Mr Saemalo claimed that French government of the area severely restricted regional co-operation. Many Protests against the French tests had been made by the people of the South Pacific, they looked to New Zealand for leadership.

The third speaker, Mr J. Walding, MP and Chairman of the Labour Party's Environmental Committee, stated the Labour Party's policy of opposition to all nuclear testing by all nations and its advocacy of as many nuclear weapon free zones as possible. Mr Walding accused the National government of offering only token diplomatic protests so as not to damage negotiations with the EEC. The recent French loan to New Zealand of $12 million was a deplorable bribe and Mr Walding stressed the need for a foreign policy not influenced by financial considerations. In his final remarks Mr Walding argued strongly for New Zealand leadership in a multi-national protest not only because the existence of a nuclear station in the Pacific invited retaliation, but also because the people most affected, the French Polynesians, had no voice in international affairs.

The final speaker, Mr Knox, from the FOL described his recent visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the reality of the suffering of bomb victims in these cities. Protest against the French nuclear tests was, he urged, effective as the New Zealand FOL was not alone in its decision not to service French shipping or aircraft during the June 1st - 30th period of testing in the Pacific. A similar decision has been made by the Australian trade unions.

After further discussion a 10-point motion for action by the New Zealand governme was put to the meeting. A general [unclear: motior] that this meeting condemns all the Frene nuclear tests in the Pacific and that this be conveyed to the French embassy, the New Zealand government and the news media was passed as was a motion that the Wellington Branch of CND be revived

The meeting ended with some suggestions for action from Robert Reid a representativa of Affront (Association For [unclear: Fren] Reversal of Nuclear Testing). These included a sit-in at the French embassy, [unclear: bomb] tests in the embassy's backyard and distribution of a list of addresses and telephone numbers of all the people on the French embassy staff. Support was also urged for the 'Green Peace' letter-writing campaign to. . .

The Motions

This meeting asks the New Zealand Government to make a really effective protest against French Nuclear Weapon tests by agreeing to carry out the following actions: -