NZ OPPOSITION LEADER PLEASED WITH WASHINGTON VISIT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000537 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR D (FRITZ),EAP/FO, AND EAP/ANP NSC FOR VICTOR CHA SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD LIZ PHU PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV NZ SUBJECT: NZ OPPOSITION LEADER PLEASED WITH WASHINGTON VISIT Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: National Party leader John Key and other senior opposition party officials regarded their June visit to Washington as a big success. Members of Key's entourage told post that the high points of the trip were their meetings with Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte and Assistant Secretary Chris Hill along with James Connaughton of the Council on Environmental Quality. Key was so taken by Connaughton's views on climate change policy that National's own climate policy could incorporate similar views. They noted that the anti-nuclear issue was not raised once during the visit with DOD officials. During the side-trip to Ottawa to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other Canadian government officials, Key was quizzed on New Zealand's economy and its military commitment in Afghanistan. End summary Tone of visit friendly, personal objectives met -------------- -- ¶2. (SBU) On July 17, the Opposition National Party's Foreign Affairs spokesman Murray McCully, Chief of Staff Wayne Eagleson and Chief Press Secretary Kevin Taylor briefed Charge' Keegan and Political Assistant Greaves on their assessment of John Key's June 26-29 visit to Washington. McCully said that Key and his entourage (McCully, Taylor and the National Party Trade spokesman Tim Groser) agreed that the overall tone of the visit was very amicable and met Key's chief objectives: to make contacts; to personally introduce himself and expound his political priorities (including his desire for a US-NZ Free Trade Agreement),and to better understand how Washington operates. (Note: Although Mr. Key had lived in New York while working on Wall Street, he never visited Washington. End note) ¶3. (SBU) McCully rated the meeting with Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte and Assistant Secretary Chris Hill at State as a particular highlight of their visit. McCully suspected that D Negroponte was using the meeting to appraise Key as New Zealand's potential next prime minister. McCully was impressed by A/S Hill's engagement on South Pacific issues and what the group observed as his prominent status within the US policy-making community. Key ponders U.S. climate change thinking -------------- 
¶5. (SBU) McCully and Taylor made it clear that their climate change discussions were an important focal point of the visit and the meeting with James Connaughton of the Council on Environmental Quality was a particularly well-spent moment especially for John Key. Taylor remarked that climate change thinking in the U.S., as expounded by Connaughton, had moved on from Kyoto and was far more advanced, especially regarding possible technologies to address climate change, than in NZ, where Kyoto requirements still dominate much of the debate. McCully said that some future National Party policy discussion papers could better reflect some of this 'advanced thinking.' Anti-nuclear issue not discussed during DOD meeting -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) McCully said that the meeting at DOD with Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman was very cordial and noted that the anti-nuclear issue was not raised once. He proffered that perhaps for the first time in about 20 years the anti-nuclear issue was not talked about at a meeting between New Zealanders and DOD officials. (Note: Shortly after Key became National party leader in November 2006, he made clear that if elected PM he would continue to retain the anti-nuclear policy, as distinct to his predecessor Dr. Don Brash who was purposely vague on the subject. End Note.) USTR, Think Tank and Capitol Hill meetings -------------- ¶7. (SBU) At USTR the group met with Deputy USTR John K. Veroneau; McCully and Taylor both observed the mood was palpably downcast which they attributed to recent failure of the Potsdam meetings to save Doha Round. McCully was particularly impressed with Kurt Campbell from the Center for a New American Security whom he noted displayed a level of intimacy with the issues of importance to New Zealand, especially in the Pacific Islands, that astonished the visiting party. McCully also spoke highly of the meetings with Senators Richard Lugar and Gordon Smith on the Hill. The party did not meet with Congressman Faleomavaega as planned. Overall, the group was very pleased by the level of access and the depth of WELLINGTON 00000537 002 OF 002 discussion during their time in Washington. Canadians seek Key's views on NZ's Afghanistan role -------------- -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Finally, during their brief visit to Ottawa to meet with Canadian PM Harper and other Canadian government officials, the Canadians expressed interest in Key's views on New Zealand's Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and his Party's commitment to the efforts in Afghanistan. They also explored the state of the New Zealand's economy at length with Key, drawing him out on his perspectives as an experienced professional in international finances. Keegan