Mike Moore to be new ambassador to US
BY MARTIN KAY
Is Mike Moore a good choice as New Zealand's next ambassador to the US?
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Mike Moore, a former Labour prime minister who has headed the World Trade Organisation, is to be New Zealand's next ambassador to the United States.
Mr Moore said it had taken 'a little bit of convincing' for him to accept the posting, but he decided after there was a clear "mood change" from American representatives on the New Zealand-US Business Council in favour of a free trade deal.
He said securing an agreement would be the main focus of his tenure, but it was not a done deal and there was likely to be resistance from powerful sectors of the US economy, especially the influential farming lobby.
"As always, it will be vested interests in the US - and vested interested in New Zealand. Making change always brings you up against those that have done well out of the old conditions, and it’s no secret that agriculture is difficult for some of our dear friends and cousins."
He said he hoped to work directly with members of the US Congress to win support for a free trade agreement, which has to be approved by the American legislature.
"You can do the deal, we can get the substance done to show that it’s in both countries’ interests or the interests of the region, yet it has to go through their parliamentary system which is more complex than ours."
Foreign Affairs minister Murray McCully said Mr Moore would bring a "huge amount of experience" to the position.
"As a former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and co-chair of the US-NZ Partnership Forum, Mr Moore is the best possible candidate for this important role.
"New Zealand is working closely with the United States in the Asia-Pacific region, in Afghanistan, on the challenges of climate change, non-proliferation and efforts to counter terrorism.
"The United States has also agreed to join the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade negotiation. This will be a major focus for Mike Moore as Ambassador, working with the US administration and Congress, as well as business interests, as negotiations get underway."
Labour leader Phil Goff "strongly endorsed" the appointment, which he said would boost moves to secure a Pacific-wide free trade area that includes the US and New Zealand .
"His trade skills will be particularly vital because one of the most important developments in the US-New Zealand relationship in the next few years will be the negotiation of a trans-Pacific partnership and Mike has huge credibility in the trade area. His political skills mean that the vital work that has to be done to persuade the Congress that this is a beneficial move for the United States as well as New Zealand, will be hugely helpful there."
Mr Moore would replace career diplomat Roy Ferguson in the role.
HIGH-LEVEL CAREER
Mr Moore entered Parliament in 1972 when he was elected to represent Mt Eden in Auckland and he later represented seats in Christchurch.
In government he held several ministerial positions and was involved in trade negotiations. In 1990 he became leader of the Labour Party and was prime minister a few months replacing Geoffrey Palmer. Labour lost the next election and Mr Moore was Opposition leader for three years.
In 1999 he was elected director-general of the World Trade Organisation. However, he served only half the usual six-year term - finishing up in 2002 under a deal with his rival and successor Supachai Panitchpakdi.
Mr Moore was highly regarded in the role and restored confidence in the body while advancing international trade negotiations.
His trade background will be valuable as New Zealand seeks to progress on the US joining the Trans Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP). If successful that agreement would enable New Zealand to have a trade deal with the US along with partners Brunei, Chile and Singapore.
Prime Minister John Key is to visit Washington this year.
Another former prime minister - Jim Bolger - has also previously served as New Zealand's ambassador to the US.
- with MARTIN KAY, Stuff.co.nz
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@Tim#8, Paul#7 - Don't try and rewrite history about Mike - he is our most accomplished ex MP/PM to work overseas on behalf of NZ and world trade affairs.
A top choice. You couldn't have picked any other ex Labour PM for this job, especially with the rhetoric Labour used against America when HC was in charge.
What a junket.
Magnanimous b/s! Just clever politics, takes the masses attention away from a probable increase in GST to 15%. On the way to the UK VAT of 17.5% are we? While Oz (who we are supposed to emulate to "catch up") has GST sitting down at 10%. Even that is pretty messy with many food items exempt.
Also one quickly forgets (don't you Tim #8, another sad and bitter soul) that Labour appointed Jim Bolger to a number of high positions some of which he still occupies and, I have to say, does a bloody good job (KiwiBank, KiwiRail).
We really need as a country to get away from the pathetic left/right attitudes, the "I hate Helengrad" and other such attitudes that keeps us back while we waste our efforts on slanging each other off.
PC attitudes are still rife even after Helen has long gone. So is it Johns' fault now? Just look at the Air NZ Cougar thing - sad really we can't have a laugh anymore.
We make up 0.075% of the worlds population. We must appoint the best people to our top positions if we are to keep our voice on the world stage. So Helen in New York and Mike in Washington - Great!!
Now where can we send the little weasely yellow jacketed dancer Rodney Hide - oops there I go with my anti extreme right wing side coming out!!
God, Mike Moore is such a windbag!! Unlike his film director namesake, this one fails to pique my interest on any issue he turns his mind to. He is a rampant self-publicist, and unfortunately is ideal for the role after his stint at the WTO. But ask yourself something...even with massive support for his WTO canditure by the US and other powerbrokers, he had to share the chair with a Thai bureaucrat. Maybe the world sees him for what he is? Pray that he doesn't write another book, they're almost as bad as Richard Prebble's "I've been thinking."
Just another 'job for the boys' posting. Isn't every one sick of the fact that our ex politicians continue to feed on our great bureaucratic gravy train. What's next for Mr. Moore....perhaps Chairmanship of New Zealand Post, Or Kiwi Bank....why do none of our politicians just retire? Is their bloated superannuation scheme,lifelong travel perks and the safety of their family trusts never enough? Why do they forever dip into the public purse?
Dear old Mike. I think his heart's in the right place. He is so upfront and transparent that he will probably totally confuse everyone in Washington. A bit like Peter Sellers playing in the film about the gardener.
Tim #8 Your comments exemplify the mean-minded nastiness that I believe keeps many worthy people out of public life in NZ. Mike Moore was a hard-working constituency MP, served with distinction as head of WTO, is held in high esteem overseas and brims over with ideas that he has expressed eloquently in many excellent books. Yet you damn him totally. Is your record of national and international public service even more exemplary. If so, don't let modesty keep you anonymous. If not, why the bile? Envy? Or just that unpleasant Kiwi refusal to give credit where it is due? Thank goodness we have a PM who can rise above parish pump politics and act in the interests of our little country.
Good choice, there's no one else even remotely as qualified for the job as Moore. He seems to have confused Tim #8 by having a lot of ideas...
Perfect choice. With the relationship defrosting between the US and NZ since the ANZUS treaty, we need someone who can negotiate and get us back into America's 'in' list.
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I agree that he would be a good person to front the Free Trade push, if we are going for that. However I don't see how the FTA deal, if it is anything like the US- Australian deal, and with whom the US has had a far closer relationship with over the last 30 years, would be of any benefit to us.
The US is unable to commit to significant liberalisation of agricultural tariffs or quotas and we've already largely liberalised our own financial service rules or industrial tariff rules.
Lets see a detailed, costed analysis of exactly what benefit NZ is likely to get out of such a deal before we sign anything, assuming it is offered. Let us also evaluate whether or not Australia has gained the expected benefits from it's FTA deal signed in 2003.