Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Washington post

Writing about Mike Moore yesterday, I had no idea that,
as I hear today on the news, he was about to be appointed
New Zealand’s next ambassador to the United States.
Well, good on him. I’m pleased that a long career of
public service will be rounded off with a posting that
ensures he won’t slip into the ignominy of being just one
more semi-retired member of the commentariat,
condemned to write opinion pieces for the popular press,
chipping in from the commentary box like the legion of
former All Blacks and test cricketers now behind the
microphone.

Ironically, when I interviewed him for the Clark book in
November 2008, he was somewhat in the wilderness,
having been passed over for appointments by the Clark
government (he wasn’t even invited to the party’s 90th
anniversary bash, which, rightly, rankled). I asked him
if there had been offers at all from Labour and he
replied: ‘I don’t want anything. It would be nice to be
asked, but who wants to be an ambassador waiting at the
airport for Ruth Dyson? I mean, gimme a break.’

I guess waiting at the airport for Gerry Brownlee won’t be
quite as humiliating.

Anyway, the National-led government deserves credit for
giving a job like this to someone who has spent much of
his life attacking National. Clearly, it’s a quid pro quo for
the Labour government giving Jim Bolger the same job,
so fair enough. It does rather tend to reinforce the
outrageous notion I put forward in my last blog—that
National and Labour are more or less the same party now
—but what the hey. I wonder if, after she leaves
Parliament, the powers-that-be will find a way in which
Jeanette Fitzsimons can represent New Zealand too?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

For starters how about chair of the board of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) for Jeanette. She effectively brought the organisation into existence and has works tirelessly for what it stands for. Remember folks, you read it here first.

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Anonymous said...

Mike Moore may not have to meet Ruth Dyson off the plane but given the way National is re-cycling old pollies it might be Ruth .... Richardson.

Be afraid Mike, and New Zealand, be very afraid.