American Friends of NZ Assist US Presidential Candidates

Former Assistant Secretary of State for Asia/Pacific, Dr. Kurt Campbell, who was appointed an honourary Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2013 for services to New Zealand-United States relations, quietly remains involved in U.S. policy matters, most recently in support of Mrs. Clinton.

Highly respected across all political fronts in N.Z., Dr. Campbell last Wednesday night co-hosted a dialogue with Jacob “Jake” Sullivan, Senior Policy Advisor to Mrs Clinton. Mr. Sullivan, a Rhodes Scholar, has served with great distinction at the Department of State, including discreetly on Iran issues with the Obama White House. Politico magazine recent shared that Sullivan "has emerged as Clinton’s most trusted foreign policy adviser.”

Also in attendance was N.Z.-born Dr. Peter S. Watson, who was appointed Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission by President Bill Clinton, earlier serving in the White House as Director of Asian Affairs at the National Security Council.

Chairman Watson is shortly to give a lead symposium presentation on “The President-Elect’s Briefing Book on U.S. National Security Policy: Tuesday, November 8, 2016.” Secretary Campbell and Dr. Watson remain co-Chairs of the American Friends of Christchurch, which to-date has raised over NZ$8,000,000 for the Christchurch Earthquake Relief Effort.

This makes the U.S. the largest donor to this effort, led by the overall efforts of N.Z. Ambassador, Mike Moore.

Meanwhile, on the N.Z. TPP front, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, after vital meetings with Ambassador Moore and President Obama, has announced that the Senate will be swiftly moving to approve TPP, a major breakthrough.

- Connie Lawn

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