Policy expected to stay after U.S. post changes

Press, 11 January 1986, Page 4

Policy expected to stay after U.S. post changes

By

TOM BRIDGMAN

NZPA staff correspondent

United States Administration changes in two key areas for New Zealand are not expected to result in any significant policy differences.

The Secretary of Agriculture, Mr John Block, has announced his resignation and Mr Paul Wolfowitz, Assistant Secretary of State for East-Asia and the Pacific, and a prime policy maker for the United States on the A.N.Z.U.S. issue, is expected to make his longawaited move at the end of this month. Mr Wolfowitz has been tipped to be the next United States .Ambassador to Indonesia.

The New Zealand Ambassador to the United States, Sir Wallace Rowling, said Mr Block had always given New Zealand a good hearing.

“We are genuinely sorry to see him go,” he said.

Mr Block has been United States Agriculture Secretary for five difficult years and pulls out soon after the passing of the United States Farm Bill which signals the beginning of a shift away from price support for farmers. He said that he felt he had done a “reasonably good job” in trying to help

farmers through “brutally difficult times.” Sir Wallace said that Mr Block had aimed to achieve what New Zealand wanted — greater efficiency in farming and constraint of surpluses. In Washington, Mr Block’s successor is being tipped as either the Deputy Secretary, Mr John Norton, or a former top assistant to Mr Block, Mr Richard Lyng. Among other names being mentioned is that of the United States special trade representative, Mr Clayton Yeutter. The front-runner is seen as Mr Lyng, who was California’s director of agriculture when Mr Reagan was Governor. Mr Lyng is well-known to New Zealand officials in America from his time as assistant to Mr Block. He is known to be well disposed towards New Zealand. New Zealand has also had a good relationship with Mr Norton, his successor. Mr Norton’s chances of getting the top job may be handicapped by a conflict of interest. Mr Norton has extensive agricultural interests in Arizona and California and has threatened to quit unless he gets permission to participate in farm subsidy programmes. He has said that he stands

to lose SUSI million if be is forced to stay out of the programmes as are other top Agriculture Department officials under conflict-of-interest laws.

Mr Yeutter has previously expressed an interest in the post and was Assistant Secretary of Agriculture under President Fori

Another name mentioned is that of Mr Don Brock, a prominent California farmer who is said to have Republican Party support One of the difficulties in finding a new Agriculture Secretary is that with the Reagan Administration having less than three years to run, the next secretary would have to be someone prepared to have a short

tenure, which could favour Mr Lyng. Mr Wolfowitz has for some time been mooted as the next United States Ambassador to Indonesia and his change of post is expected early this year. Officials say that Mr Wolfowitz may leave his position at the State Department at the end of this month.

. His successor is strongly tipped to be Mr Gaston Sigur, the National Security Council’s Asian Affairs Director and an academic from George Washington University. In his role at the N.S.C., Mr Sigur dealt with the A.N.Z.U.S. issue.

He is known to be a “good listener” but one who keeps his own counsel.