Would-be envoy vague on P.M.

Press, 9 February 1989, Page 1

Would-be envoy vague on P.M.

By

BRENDON BURNS

political reporter President George Bush’s nomination for the United States Ambassador to New Zealand, Mrs Della Newman, said yesterday she had held no particular interest in foreign affairs. Mrs Newman, speaking from her home in Seattle, Washington, could not name New Zealand’s Prime Minister when interviewed by telephone. When advised it was Mr Lange, she said she had known the name but did not know how to pronounce it. A real estate agent with her own business, Mrs Newman, aged 56, said she would have a lot of reading to do if her nomination is confirmed by the United States Senate. She received a call from Mr Bush last week informing her that she was his choice for Ambassador in Wellington. It was not a complete surprise because she had expressed to him an interest in being posted to New Zealand. A long-time friend of Mr Bush, Mrs Newman was political chairman of his presidential campaign in Washington. Her husband, Mr Wells McCurdy, was finance chairman for the campaign. Mrs Newman said she had had no particular interest in foreign affairs during her life. Asked if she was bringing appropriate skills and expertise

into the post of Ambassador, she said she was not certain. “I’m sure the President must think so or he wouldn’t have wished me to do this.” I She did not know what sort of role she would like to play as Ambassador. “I want to do what’s best for my country and make myself pleasant to everyone.” She had begun reading to brief herself about New Zealand and expected to be given a lot of material. Mrs Newman hoped that her lack of special interest in foreign affairs would not be a problem. Her husband and herself moni-

tored events outside the United States, but no more so than other business people. She knew New Zealand had a Parliamentary system of Government, similar to Britain’s and Canada’s. She was not familiar with who was the Leader of the Opposition or confident of which party was in power. Mrs Newman said she hoped briefings she would soon attend in Washington would make her “better educated” about New Zealand. She said there were several reasons why she had indicated her wish to President Bush to gain a posting here, among them: “Because I think it is such a beautiful country.” Seattle had a sister-city relationship with Christchurch. There were common interests in agriculture. The climates in New Zealand and Washington were similar and both bordered the Pacific. Mrs Newman said she was’ aware of the anti-nuclear policy of the New Zealand Government, but had not discussed this yet with President Bush. If confirmed as Ambassador to Wellington, Mrs Newman will succeed Mr Paul Cleveland in the post. Mrs Newman appears before the Senate’s foreign relations committee, and if necessary the Senate, as part of the process confirming her nomination.