Fran O'Sullivan: Foreign posting hints at genius

Prime Minister Helen Clark's decision to appoint Winston Peters Foreign Minister may turn out to be a stroke of unintended genius.

The New Zealand First leader has long been the face of a Kiwi nationalistic drive and has at times erred in his opposition to unfettered Asian immigration.

But Mr Peters' relationships with other key external constituencies such as the United States, Australia - with some reservations (more of which later) - Europe and Britain are in fine fettle.

Which is more than can be said of his predecessor, Phil Goff, in the case of the US.

Unlike Mr Goff - who went too far with his anti-American swipes during the election campaign - the new Foreign Minister has not stamped on Uncle Sam's toes.

Mr Peters shares Helen Clark's desire to keep New Zealand's anti-nuclear policies intact. He is on song with the Prime Minister's opposition to the Iraq invasion, her decision to commit troops to Afghanistan and support for the United Nations.

They may not get round to sharing a whisky bottle - as Mr Peters did when he was hitched to National's Jim Bolger in a formal coalition duo. But Helen Clark was playing it straight when she last night described their relationship as "amiable".

It is that amiability - combined with Mr Peters' own tough negotiating record - that Ms Clark can now deploy by asking him to lead talks with the US in the new year.

The previous Government had tacitly agreed to the request by former US Ambassador Charles Swindells to try to bury the 20-year-old Anzus hatchet.

But it will take a politician with particularly acute skills to finesse a new bilateral agreement which enables both sides to move forward on a new security, economic and trade platform.

Inevitably this new role will be portrayed as Mr Peters' political swansong.

It is a choice portfolio with lots of international travel.

There is a possibility that Helen Clark - whose own forte is international affairs - will be able to capitalise on his absence from the Cabinet table to forge policies that he will find difficult to front, or, stomach in China's case. But this is an outside policy.

My pick is that Helen Clark will continue to front the Asian agenda that is being driven by the region's political leaders. Asian leaders are unlikely to make political hay from Mr Peters' past anti-Asian outbursts.

Until recently, most leaders were opposed to having New Zealand or Australia within the Asian tent - some as virulent in their opposition as any of Mr Peters' more baroque rhetoric.

The New Zealand First leader is opposed to aspects of the China free-trade deal. But as Helen Clark pointed out last night, he is not the Minister for Trade Negotiations, nor trade policy, nor trade. But there is a big role for Mr Peters in shoring up New Zealand's role in the Pacific, which is being undermined by China's encroachment.

On this score he has extracted an agreement that the Government will address the need to ensure the South Pacific remains a top priority for New Zealand overseas aid.

In Australia's case, he has also extracted a commitment to tackle the problem of access for NZ apples to the Australian market, but on that score he will have to talk to the Australians. It is not in Helen Clark's power to deliver nirvana on this.