Mike Moore (New Zealand politician): Difference between revisions

Moore began his parliamentary career when elected as the MP for [[Eden (New Zealand electorate)|Eden]] in 1972, becoming the youngest MP at 23 years of age, where he served for one term before being defeated in the {{NZ election link|1975}}.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=221}}<ref name="ZB obituary">{{cite news |title=Former NZ PM Mike Moore dies aged 71 |url=https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/former-prime-minister-mike-moore-passes-away-at-71/ |access-date=2 February 2020 |work=NewstalkZB |date=2 February 2020}}</ref> Following the announcement of [[Norman Douglas (politician)|Norman Douglas]]' retirement from the safe {{NZ electorate link|Auckland Central}} seat there was much speculation that Moore would seek the Auckland Central nomination. The media considered Moore one of the most able [[Backbencher|backbenchersbackbencher]]s in the Labour Party, however Moore decided to stand in the marginal Eden seat once again.<ref>{{cite news |title=Last Term for Mr Douglas |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=18 October 1974 |page=1 }}</ref> After his election loss, the Moores visited [[Warren Freer]], and were insistent that he resign from {{NZ electorate link|Mount Albert}} so that Moore could take his place. Freer (who retired in 1981) said he had no intention of resigning and further stated there was no guarantee that he would be selected to replace Freer.{{sfn|Freer|2004|p=226}}

As a government minister in the [[Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand|Fourth Labour Government]] he has held numerous portfolios, becoming best known in his role as [[Minister of Trade (New Zealand)|Overseas Trade Minister]] from 1984 to 1990 with involvement in the [[General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade|GATT]] negotiations.<ref name="WTO bio"/> He also advanced the [[Closer Economic Relations]] (CER) free trade agreement with Australia.{{sfn|Espiner|Watkin|2017|p=77}} In 1988 he became Minister of External Relations and Deputy Minister of Finance.<ref name="WTO bio"/> Moore was privately critical of the government’s asset sales agenda, particularly concerned with the surge in unemployment that followed, he even dry-vomited in a toilet after the sale of the Tourist Hotel Corporation.{{sfn|Espiner|Watkin|2017|p=69}} He was also vehemently opposed to finance minister [[Roger Douglas]]' proposal for a [[Flat tax|flat tax rate]].{{sfn|Espiner|Watkin|2017|pp=72–3}}

Moore was [[Director-General of the World Trade Organization]] from 1999 to 2002. This was the highest ever ranking job in international bureaucracy held by a New Zealander.{{sfn|Bassett|2008|p=540}} The deal with his rival and successor [[Supachai Panitchpakdi]] meant that he served only half of the usual six-year term in the post.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12305280 |title=Mike Moore remembered as a passionate defender of trade |date=2 February 2020 |work= [[The New Zealand Herald]] |first=Chris |last=Keall |access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref> Moore's term coincided with momentous changes in the global economy and multilateral trading system. He attempted to restore confidence in the system following the setback of the [[World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999|1999 WTO ministerial conference]] held in Seattle. Ministers at the [[World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 2001|2001 ministerial conference]] in [[Doha]], Qatar, regarded him as the driving force behind the decision to launch a new round of multilateral trade negotiations—the ill-fated [[Doha Development Round]]. That 2001 meeting also saw the successful accession to the WTO of China and Taiwan, which along with Estonia, Jordan, Georgia, Albania, Oman, Croatia, Lithuania and Moldova joined during Moore's term, bringing the majority of the world's population within the rules-based trading system. He gave particular attention to helping poor countries participate effectively in the multilateral trading system.<ref name="latrobe1"/>

Moore became New Zealand Ambassador to the United States in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/mccully-names-new-ambassador-united-states |title=McCully names new Ambassador to the United States |website=Beehive.govt.nz |publisher=New Zealand Government |date=21 January 2010 |access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> He had a heart valve operation in 2014 and was admitted to hospital in Washington DC in April 2015 after a mild stroke.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11437002 |title=Former PM Moore in US hospital after stroke |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=23 April 2015|access-date = 2 February 2020}}</ref> In November 2015, he announced that he would leave his post on 16 December and return to New Zealand due to his deteriorating health.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mike Moore heading back to NZ|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/74272980/mike-moore-leaving-post-as-new-zealand-ambassador-to-us|website=Stuff|access-date=21 November 2015}}</ref>

* New Zealand Government Trade Envoy<ref>{{cite news |title=Mike Moore appointed Government trade envoy |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=2447000 |access-date=2 February 2020 |work=NZ[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2002 |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

* Member, Board of Governors for the Institute for International Business, Economics and Law, University of Adelaide{{cncitation needed|date=February 2020}}

* Adjunct Professor, [[University of Adelaide]], South Australia<ref name="adjunct"/><ref name="new-roles">{{cite news |title=New roles for former PM Moore |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10364038 |access-date=2 February 2020 |work=NZ[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=17 January 2006 |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

*[[New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal]] (1990)<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/|title=NZ-Australia relationship not understood by outsiders: Mike Moore|last=Young|first=Audrey|date=12 April 2012|work=NZ[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=2 February 2020|language=en-NZ|issn=1170-0777}}</ref>

*{{cite book |author-link=Warren Freer |last= Freer |first= Warren W |title= A Lifetime in Politics: the memoirs of Warren Freer |year= 2004 |publisher= [[Victoria University Press]] |location= Wellington |isbn= 978-0-86473-478-5 }}

*{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103}}