176

Minute from Barratt to Anderson and Lightowler

Canberra, 18 December 1981

CONFIDENTIAL

Closer Economic Relations with New Zealand

This morning the Secretary spoke to me on the above subject following a telephone discussion between himself and Sir Geoffrey Yeend

  1. Sir Geoffrey told the Secretary that he had discussed the CER exercise with the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister had instructed that there was to be no further contact with New Zealand on the subject until such time as Mr Anthony had brought a submission to Cabinet and Cabinet had taken a decision thereon.1

[NAA: A1313/113, 82/1095, iv]

1 A handwritten note on the document reads: ‘The Secretary confirmed to Mr Anderson and myself that this did not preclude continuing discussion with N.Z. at the “technical” level-to be taken as any level’.