GP Delivers New Zealanders' Anti-Nuclear Protest to Parliament

["Greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

GREENPEACE DELIVERS NEW ZEALANDERS' ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTEST TO
PARLIAMENT & EMBASSIES

Wellington, Thursday 20 February 1997 -- Greenpeace today
presented a petition to the Government containing 24,000
signatures calling for the nuclear waste carrying ship, Pacific
Teal, to be banned from entering New Zealand's 200 mile
Exclusive Economic Zone [1].

Greenpeace Campaign Director Stephanie Mills presented the
petitions in a mock-barrel of radioactive waste to Government MP
Joy McLauchlan, Chair of the Foreign Affairs & Defence Select
Committee, and a delegation of eight opposition MPs including
Labour leader Helen Clark and Alliance deputy leader and Green
MP Jeanette Fitzsimons.

"With the Pacific Teal due to reach the Tasman as early as this
weekend our petition is a timely reminder to the Government that
New Zealanders want them to ban this shipment from entering the
200 mile zone," said Stephanie Mills. "Now its
up to the Government to heed public opinion by formally
prohibiting the ship from
New Zealand waters and working within the South Pacific Forum to
ban all future shipments from the region."

A procession of 25 activists left the French Embassy at 12 noon
wearing radiation
suits and masks, carrying the petitions and four mock-barrels of
plutonium and radioactive waste. They also delivered letters of
protest to the French Embassy, Japanese Embassy and British High
Commission - the three countries involved in the shipment -
before reaching Parliament at 1pm.

Today's petition presentation follows the release of a
Greenpeace commissioned opinion poll conducted by CM Research NZ
earlier this week which found that 82 per cent of New Zealanders
are opposed to the shipment. 

Parliament also voted overwhelmingly to support a resolution
condemning the Pacific Teal shipment yesterday.

For further information: Stephanie Mills on (025) 826 305 in
Wellington or Glyn Walters on (09) 630 6317 or (025) 931 363 in
Auckland.

[1] The petition reads: 
"Dear Mr Bolger,
We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the shipment of highly
radioactive nuclear waste on board the Pacific Teal, heading
towards the Tasman Sea and the Pacific. We urge you to prohibit
this shipment from New Zealand's 200 mile zone and work to ban
all future nuclear shipments from the Pacific."