The ambassador has a fierce admiration for successful expats and sees effectively aligning this foreign network as central to his success in the new job.

Mike Moore has rarely been out of the public eye since launching his political career nearly 40 years ago. In his first sit-down interview as New Zealand ambassador to the United States, he talks to James Robinson about the impact of WikiLeaks and our ties to Uncle Sam. 

WHEN MIKE Moore first faced the media after being appointed New Zealand's ambassador to the United States, in January last year, he seemed increasingly perturbed by an early run of aggressive questions.

"I'm not a lifestyle guy – if you learn I'm playing golf, shoot me in the back of the head," he retorted gruffly to one journalist.

One year later, settled into his job in Washington, Moore is far more relaxed. "I'm enjoying it more than I thought and probably more than I should," Moore says. He has been hosted by President Barack Obama and his wife, and presented his credentials as ambassador in the Oval Office. His job takes him into contact with the State Department, senators, congressmen and congresswomen, and sees him networking with lobbyists, unions and the extensive network of expat New Zealanders. Moore and wife, Yvonne, live in the ambassador's residence, near the embassy.

Arriving in Washington in August last year has made Moore, with 27 years of service for the Labour Party, an arm of the National government. He left parliament before Prime Minister John Key entered, but current Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully is a former sparring partner. McCully and Moore's political rivalry dates back to 1972, when an 18-year-old McCully campaigned against Moore when he took the Eden electorate seat at the age of 23. There has been no conflict, Moore says, with both sides bringing maturity and a sense of humour to the situation. "I'm walking with the minister of trade, and you laugh to each other, that I used to be his boss and now he's my boss, and you start giggling," he says.

Richard Nixon was president of the United States when Moore was first elected to parliament – and nearly 40 years on he is still our youngest-ever elected politician. Moore has been a public figure for two generations, from young politician through to prime minister, head of the World Trade Organisation, public statesman, author, and now, our man in the United States. Where many politicians have faded from view, Moore has kept going, from one high visibility post to the next.

Moore's is such a familiar face that it's hard not to think of him as an old friend when we meet. He is a warm, laconic interview subject, who fetches glasses of water for guests himself. His office – in the New Zealand Embassy on Observatory Circle in Georgetown – lacks pretension. There are no trinkets or bad art, only a serene view over Dumbarton Oaks Park. The embassy sits in the shadows of the monolithic British Embassy, not far from the Naval Observatory and vice-president's estate. Once inside, it's an antipodean cocoon where New Zealand accents greet the ear.

Moore's demeanour is softer as ambassador. As he drapes himself across a couch in his office, he makes a show of pausing, on occasion, before responding to questions. He'll think something over in his head, then smile, to let you know that, "I can't say that." It is a tease, but Moore respects the need for a clear line of communication as ambassador. For someone with a reputation for running off at the mouth – Moore famously declared victory for Labour incorrectly in the 1993 election – it seems a sly nod to wanting to let on more than he can.

Moore's enthusiasm for the position has already impressed those who have worked with him. Anna Gestro, North American regional manager for KEA, a global network of New Zealanders abroad, says he has been "always out there. He is very approachable, and absolutely a man on a mission". 

The ambassador has a fierce admiration for successful expats and sees effectively aligning this foreign network as central to his success in the new job. Moore believes in the idea of global citizenship. As he winds up our interview, he references Churchill's 1943 speech to Harvard University. "The empires of the future, are the empires of the mind," Churchill said. "Every Kiwi who leaves home suddenly becomes patriotic, they all become mini-ministers of trade and tourism and they all want to help in some way," Moore says.

Source: Sunday Star Times: Journalist: James Robinson.

Read the complete article