The prospects of the conservative New Zealand National Party opposition in the September 17 election may be doomed after revelations that it floated the idea of a U.S. think tank [3] helping undermine support for the country's 1985 ban on nuclear armed and powered warships. In January 2004 the Leader of the New Zealand National Party, Don Brash, and its spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Lockwood Smith, met with the then Republican Senator for Oklahoma, Don Nickles. Brash allegedly told U.S. officials that the ban would be "gone by lunchtime" the day after he was elected. A record of the meeting with Nickles states "Dr Smith asked whether it would be worthwhile for a US think-tank to assist with the public campaign in New Zealand, following the National Party study/review?" Nickles deflected the request stating that it "should be left up to a New Zealand think-tank."