Radio: Across The Ditch – 30 Years Since Rainbow Warrior Bombing + Helen Clark on Most Powerful Women List

[caption id="attachment_874" align="alignright" width="150"] Evening Report editor, Selwyn Manning.[/caption]Across The Ditch – Selwyn Manning and FiveAA Australia’s Josh Sampson discuss 30 Years Since Rainbow Warrior Bombing + Helen Clark on Most Powerful Women List – Recorded live on 28/05/15 on FiveAA.com.au. ITEM ONE: The survivors and crew of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior have been preparing to mark 30 years since the vessel was bombed in Auckland Harbour. (See report here.) The crew, including Greenpeace New Zealand’s current CEO Bunny McDiarmid have been speaking of their experiences before and after French DGSE agents placed explosives under the Warrior’s waterline in the night of July 10, 1985. The act of terrorism by a supposed friendly nation came to pass after France attempted to thwart the plans of those onboard the Rainbow Warrior. Greenpeace was intending to sail the vessel to Moruroa Atoll to protest against France’s nuclear testing programme in the Pacific. The attack destroyed the vessel and killed Fernando Pereira, the photographer assigned to the Rainbow Warrior, who was onboard when two bombs exploded. France’s attempt to stop protest against its nuclear weapons programme in the Pacific failed. Ironically, the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior cemented into the New Zealand psyche a commitment to see a Pacific free of nuclear weapons testing. It also galvanised popular support from the New Zealand public for the then prime minister David Lange’s controversial New Zealand nuclear free laws. ITEM TWO: Former New Zealand prime minister, Helen Clark, has been noted in the Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women. Helen Clark, who is currently the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was listed as the 23rd most powerful women in the world. The entertainer Beyonce came in at number 22. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was ranked number one, and Hillary Clinton is ranked as number two. Helen Clark is being tipped by some as positioned to be a strong candidate to replace current United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon in 2016. If she does campaign for the UN’s top job, it will create history. Never before has a woman been elected to the role. Across The Ditch broadcasts live weekly on FiveAA.com.au and webcasts on EveningReport.nz, LiveNews.co.nz, and ForeignAffairs.co.nz.]]>