[asia-apec 833] APEC 1999 - Editorial Opinion

[Gatt Watchdog]

>From Sunday Star-Times, New Zealand, October 25 1998

Opinion

We can't afford it either

When a mock truck-bomb explosion blocks off parts of central
Auckland as part of the run-up to next year's Apec forum, it's
surely time to ask when will this silliness end?

The advent of air travel has led to a proliferation of pointless
conferencing on a global scale.  The annual works outing has
become the international forum.  And too often it is elected
officials who have been blazing the trail with bigger and more
unnecessary gatherings.

>From each pours forth press releases about what wonderful bonding
has taken place between delegates.  And of decisions almost made.
But all most of us recall are the funny shirts the leaders get to
wear.  And the fact that news magazines tend to mistake our prime
minister for the leader of Canada or Australia.

Wellingtonians got a taste of conference nonsense last week when
500 Commonwealth parliamentarians and bureaucrats turned up for
their annual bunfight.  Apparently the Cook Islanders, who were
supposed to host the $1.5m junket, had the sense to say they
couldn't afford it.  Despite our apparently parlous economic
situation, we said we could.  As result, parliamentary work came
to a standstill, MPs were sent home, and select committees
adjourned for the duration because parliamentary clerks were too
busy at the conference.

The theme of the conference was "Globalisation - its impact on
Commonwealth Governments and Parliaments".  Just what relevance it
had to the condition of one Commonwealth citizen is hard to
fathom.

But last week's conference fades into insignificance alongside
next September's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum.  Talk
about a monster out of control.  Created just 20 [sic] years ago
by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke as a talkfest for regional
leaders, Apec is now a meaningless conference of world leaders
which will cost New Zealanders some $44 million to host.  Former
Prime Minister David Lange calls it " a farcical waste of time".
He is right.  At a time when pensions are being cut and patients
on hospital waiting lists are dying, it is also a scandalous waste
of money.  It's a pity that the Government didn't have the courage
of the Cook Islanders and say we can't afford it.

When the President of the United States needs a retinue of 1200 to
accompany him to a meeting, and a special 100-strong naval
taskforce has to be trained to combat germ warfare, it's surely
time to laugh and say "get real".

A few photo opportunities and some bland communiques which will do
nothing to improve the economic condition of any of the citizens
of the countries involved is hardly worth the expense of this
conference.  Or most of its kind.