Audience with President for N.Z. visitor
PA Auckland A New Zealand businessman received an unexpected welcome when he knocked on President Reagan's front door. He was told to come in.
Mr Tibor Banfy returned last month from a business trip to the United States. “About April, I heard that the President was looking for a new yacht to replace the one (the Sequoia) that President Carter sold,” said Mr Banfy. “I had a friend in California who had a New Zealand yacht and thought it would be’ good for our country if the President bought a New Zealand product."
Mr Banfy said that he gathered material on New Zealand-built yachts and took it to the President's ranch in Santa Barbara. California. He was not able to see the President then but the information was passed on. Mr Banfy returned to the ranch on August 8 to give some gifts of New Zealand products to the President. He said the ranch was very busy with officials hurrying everywhere because of the air traffic controllers’ dispute. “I went up to the gate of
the ranch." Mr Banfy said. "I had some fresh trout, New Zealand kiwifruit, and wine. The security men at the gate said that there was little hope of seeing the President. They let him know I was at the gate. Twenty minutes later a car came down to collect me with a message from the President apologising for the delay. “It was quite something.” said Mr Banfy. He said he talked with President Reagan for about 20 minutes. They talked about New Zealand. President Reagan and Mrs Reagan expressed a desire to visit the country.
Mr Banfy believes that he is one of few New Zealanders to talk personally to the President, something he felt was “a great honour." Mr Banfy said that as he was leaving the ranch some of the staff asked him not to send any more food gifts to the President because by the time he ate them "they might have gone off." "When I asked why. they said that all the President's food had to undergo microscopic examination for poison or contamination." Mr Banfy said.
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Press, 14 January 1982, Page 5
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361Audience with President for N.Z. visitor Press, 14 January 1982, Page 5
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