PAC: Johnny heads for NZ amid Farnham furore

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-2005
PAC: Johnny heads for NZ amid Farnham furore

By Peter Williams, New Zealand Correspondent

AUCKLAND, Feb 18 AAP - When Australian Prime Minister John Howard flies to New Zealand
this weekend for regular trans-Tasman talks, the sounds of The Voice may be ringing in
his ears.

In the loud debate over whether John Farnham should perform at this year's Anzac service
at Gallipoli on April 25, Howard has so far maintained a solemn silence - just the way
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark would like the annual commemoration to be.

A classical music fan herself, Clark says even though she'd never heard of Farnham
she doesn't want him or his kind belting out a few numbers before dawn at Anzac Cove.

It's New Zealand's turn to call the shots about how to mark this year's 90th anniversary
of the Anzac campaign and Clark won't tolerate having a "concert in a cemetery".

Unlike Howard, Clark doesn't have to worry about offending fans of the man known as The Voice.

In fact Farnham has such a low profile in New Zealand that radio stations have been
playing some of his tracks to familiarise audiences with his material.

Both sides maintain the Anzac service hasn't been finalised and Howard and Clark may
find themselves spending more time on the anniversary plans than previously thought.

A visit to Wellington this week by Peter Costello hasn't exactly smoothed the way for
Howard. The treasurer's apparent support of a single regulator of Australian and New Zealand
banks has aroused the usual fears of Aussie domination.

New Zealand Finance Minister Michael Cullen today strongly denied local reports that
Australia is pressuring its neighbour to accept the move.

Nationalist firebrand Winston Peters weighed in, accusing the Labour government of
helping Australia gradually colonise New Zealand by stealth.

"One day we could all wake up speaking 'strine' and our sports teams will be wearing
canary yellow instead of black. If that happens, much of it will be this government's
fault," the New Zealand First leader said today.

Extending and deepening economic relations towards achieving a single market are on
the Howard-Clark agenda, as are counter-terrorism, stability in the Pacific region, and
the implications of the tsunami disaster for Asia.

Howard arrives tomorrow night in Auckland and will spend much of Sunday with Clark
before attending a reception with business and community leaders.

On Monday, he flies to Wellington to visit parliament and meet with Clark's cabinet.

He'll conclude his visit when he lays a wreath at the capital's war memorial. It's
a good bet no Farnham music will be played.

AAP pw/drp/tnf

KEYWORD: NZ AUST (AAP BACKGROUNDER)

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