Gordon Copeland Press Release
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, 12th February 2008

Australia Acts on East Timor. NZ Stands Still

An independent MP is asking the Minister of Foreign affairs why Australia is taking action to the latest Timor crisis while New Zealand stands still.

Gordon Copeland was responding to Winston Peter’s decision to wait for an international decision before taking any action.

“Our defence partners Australia are already sending in back up as a show of force. They’re not waiting for any international decision. Our action is to hesitate and put a platoon on standby.”

Mr Copeland said an appropriate response was at least to support Australia proportionately. “The Australians are on the way, we could at least send the platoon, then if after say a week they were no longer required, bring them back.”

He said both New Zealand and Australia had an international mandate to be there. “Issues such as troops on the ground are operational decisions. It is a bad look for us that our partners take action yet we dither using excuses like international permission.”

ENDS

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