KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
Simple Human before associating with any Religion
Bush should not be welcomed in New Zealand at least. The awkward president who is responsible for killing innocents whether being Iraqis/Afganis/American soldiers in the name of so called 'terrorism' and due to his actions many Muslim youngsters are now choosing the path of terrorism and are promoting anti-American feelings in the community. He should not formally be welcomed in this nice beautiful South Pacific nation of New Zealand.
Dan
I have a spare bucket. I'll start collecting rotten tomatoes. Anyone need some throwing practice around September 9?
E Street Band New Jersey
No, we don't him. Why not Bruce Springsteen?
California refugee in New Zealand
I find the very thought of this man visiting New Zealand viewed as an acceptance of all of his criminal wrongdoings. In addition to this, he is a sociopath. He has failed the American people, enjoys a popularity rating lower than Nixon and doesn't care! Accepting him to even visit - shows the international community that he is still a "Head of State". He is a criminal - lock him up and send him to Guantanimo!
Rupert (Auckland)
Yes, George Bush should visit New Zealand. What he shouldn't be allowed to do is bring his bubble with him. His entourage on his 2003 trip to the UK was almost 500 people, most of them armed. What sort of guest brings not just his own chef, but a whole team of chefs? Are they saying there's something wrong with our food?
President Bush's press secretary Tony Snow has claimed that the Commander-in-Chief is on the front lines in Iraq every day. I would think that a man with such courage could take a drive through Wellington without half a battalion to protect him.
JPS
I consider myself essentially a conservative but this guy is just off the scale, on a par with religious cult fanatics like Manson and Jim Jones. He is on his last legs as President so NZ should perhaps save its diplomacy for the next, hopefully more lucid, president.
Colin England
G.W. Bush should only be allowed in NZ if we're going to do the honourable thing and arrest him for his war crimes. Such an action would at least be worth the police time and effort. As for a FTA with America - forget it. Our market is already open to them so we have absolutely nothing to negotiate with except possibly our own sovereignty (what's left of it). The reason we don't have free trade with America is because America doesn't support free trade. They're still living in the protectionist era that came about after the collapse of capitalism in the 1930s.
Col
If he arrives here on Sunday night after midnight and leaves again before 6am that will be just fine for most of us. If he arrives earlier on Sunday evening and sees what's on the telly, he won't want to come back but we really do not want him (or any of his fellow warmongering cronies) anywhere near here.
Durrrga
The main reason for Bush not to come here is that we can't afford the expense of his paranoid need for protection, not only from assailants, but from his deserved unpopularity. While I usually approve of Helen Clark's thinking, on this issue I think she's gone insane! Our reputation in the world is enhanced by our lack of "co-operation" with the Bush regime, not by our friendship with it. Everyone who has the opportunity & desire to check out (beyond reading the complicit media) the actions of Bush & his cronies should now know what the protestors were saying back in 2001-2003 - they were devious in the extreme. They remain so on every important issue. They are guilty of corrupting their own Constitution plus war crimes. NZ should have as little as possible to do with the USA until such time as there is regime change in the "White" House.
pCb (Auckland)
Why the heck not? Look at the long list of visitors invited by Helen (many of whom could have the despot label added to their personal details). Yes there will be attempts to shout him down and I suggest that staff from the US embassy won't ask for buses to block GW's view of them or ask for certain journalists to be barred from press conferences. It will give the Green party something to focus Sue Bradford's attention on instead of her stupid legislation.
Chris
"The underlying anti-American sentiment shown in this country is quite nauseating and we should all be ashamed" - that's the money shot. Nice one Arron.
Judging from the sentiments of people here, we should be excluding the Australians and British from coming here - if we're going to be so morally perfect, let's not be hypocrits, they stayed the course too. Don't forget to write to Helen Clark about your disgust for her trip to the US recently - it was our tax dollars that paid for it - oh, wait, we stand to gain from that. It's easy for people to point the finger, they just forget that three are pointing back.
PaulS
So, a lot of NZers don't want good old George to visit, and some even say that Iraq was better off under Saddam....well, that's interesting, I don't remember thousands of US or other refugees begging to be let into Iraq. They all wanted to go to the USA. I'd much rather live in a world with him as a leader than the fanatical Muslim leaders of Indonesia and the Middle East that we have now. George is welcome here, anyday!
Martina (Auckland)
We should not be giving Bush the impression that he is welcome here, because he is obviously not. I would resent us funding his useless little visit, too.
B.Crawford
Welcome a lame duck president. A man who has lied to his people. Approves of the on going torture of prisoners. Acts above the courts by conducting illegal wiretapping and surveillance on his own citizens. Doesn't accord combatants the cover of the Geneva convention. Gerrymanders his election. Gives huge pay offs to his business cronies and justifies it all in the name of god. I would prefer not to. This is not anti-American, there are many fine Americans, George W. Bush is just not someone I would invite for a beer and a BBQ.
Lisa, Auckland
No, us taxpayers would be the one's footing the bill for his lavish lunches with Aunty Helen. He's not wanted here. Send him to Iraq where he is wanted. And on second thoughts, send Helen Clark with him.
Joel (Canterbury)
Bush's visit to New Zealand may not help a lot to the FTA situation. The US Congress with many of the US Democrats, which most of New Zealand would approve otherwise, are old-school Labourite on the issue of free trade agreements (look at Barak Obama for instance - he is in fact to the left of Jim Anderton on FTAs) but given they are even more unpopular than Bush now according to the latest Gallop poll the proposed visit may help NZ's position on FTAs.Given the prevailing belief on moral equivalence and anti-Americanism in this country I would not be surprised Bush will be shouted down here. This is quite funny because domestically Bush has introduced a lot of big government policies, and he is still too fuzzy, and yes, soft-handed, on the issues of war and terrorism. Too moderate, in the eyes of American electorates.
Arron
I am no great fan of George Bush, but am surprised at all the people calling him a terrorist. His army went in and rid a country of a tyrant dictator, and would like to get out and let the country self-govern but can't because of all the Muslim fanatics suicide bombing each other etc. Blame the Islamic radicals, they are the true "war criminals".The underlying anti-American sentiment shown in this country is quite nauseating and we should all be ashamed, at least he isn't a screaming commie like Clark or Cullen.
Dave (Auckland CBD)
New Zealand customs would never allow well known terrorists into the country, so why let Bush? He is responsible for the hundred's of thousands of deaths in the middle east since his "coalition" of killers invaded Iraq, just so "Daddy and friends" can get their hands on the oil and also make enormous amounts of money in arms dealings. No Bush is not welcome in NZ! Let's not let the evil monkey set foot in Godzone!
H
Mmmmm interesting. No, I don't think he should come here. Stay in Australia. We shouldn't support him, he would only support us if there was something in it for him. If he did come then he pays for the police, security, and travel not us! What's the point for one Sunday night - shoudn't he be at church?
Nick
To John (Wellington): George W. Bush a peace loving man? Where have you been the last seven years? Do you honestly think his war in Iraq is the action of a peace loving man? A war that has killed thousands of innocent women and children? Anyone can see that the Iraqi's were better off with Saddam, and that is saying a lot!
Andy
President George W Bush should be welcomed to New Zealand just like any other foreign dignitary. We don't seem to mind welcoming communist Chinese diplomats to New Zealand, and their human rights record is atrocious! President Bush should be afforded every courtesy while he is here: that includes police protection from violent protestors, just like we afford to the Chinese. Otherwise New Zealand is adopting a double-standard.
Mel
While I'm no fan of the man, perhaps a visit here would open his eyes to the fact that being peaceful, nuclear-free, conscious of the environment, supportive of women and minorities, and having a public health system makes for a pretty good country to live in after all.
Harry L (Waitakere City)
This guy is the mid-Atlantic iceberg of international politics and should be avoided as such.
Note: Even the current batch of Republican presidential wannabes are competing to tie themselves to the legacy of Ronald Reagan rather than be seem as a Bushite. Do you have any idea how much it would cost the taxpayer in security? That's a bill I would rather not help pay. Finally, anyone who thinks it will help secure a US-NZ free trade deal is dreaming. Did anyone see him laugh when the issue was brought up by TV3 at the Clark-Bush White House press conference earlier this year?
Mandy (Auckland)
I think Bush should not visit New Zealand. He is with out a doubt the worst president in American history. He has no X factor or charisma, he has lied not only to his country but the world and invaded countries and started wars. He is for nuclear power and he stands against a lot of issues that are important to New Zealand, why are we still on good terms with him? Bush is the real Terrorist!
Canada
Bush should not be allowed to visit NZ. We should not even waste a single tax-payer dollar on security for him even if he stopped off at the air-port whilst in transit. He will not be welcomed here due to his actions in the past. He comes across as a madman who is hell-bent on sacrificing as many US troops as possible in his self-proclaimed "War Against Terrorism." What help I ponder has been given to the poorer victims of New Orleans who could still be living in "temporary" accommodation since Hurricane Katrina in 2005! More has been spent on his War Against Terrorism than on the victims of those horrific hurricanes. Perhaps they are the Forgotten Population of the USA. I suggest for those who still have some respect for Bush take the time to read House Of Bush, House Of Saud by Craig Unger. He will surely go down in history as the President no-one wants to be associated with.
Richard
I would welcome Bush into NZ, he is very welcome here. And I hope our Government gives him the welcome he deserves and arrests him, and charges him with war crimes and crimes against humanity. This war criminal should be treated like all war criminals.
Heather
No, I would not want George Bush to visit our country as I do not want him to think for a minute that the people of New Zealand support his aggressive and destructive policies. The only weapon of mass destruction that he has made obvious has two legs and goes by the name of George.
John (Wellington)
Yes, I think George Bush is a hero - a Christian and peace-loving man. He defends our way of life and stands for everything Islam hates, just like the rest of us. He is our soldier in the face of extreme religious prejudice and cultural intolerance. He is as much a part of our society, as for any freedom loving nation. His visit is long overdue, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the US with unblinking loyalty, he should pay his respects and receive our welcome, and our ski fields are 'excellent' this time of year, except he won't get much bang for his green-back's unless the Reserve Bank gets off the fence and sends the Kiwi packing.
Living in the free world
We must not welcome Bush into this wonderful country of ours. Let's stand up and be strong and not give in to economic pressures. Yes, we need trade agreements and trading partnerships. I understand that. But not with a man who has lied constantly about Iraq and brought the west into a war that has cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Inviting this man to New Zealand would be truly immoral and an insult to us all. Let's not be another one of his puppets. New Zealand should be proud to stand up and say no to this man. Inviting him here would be an insult to us all.
Vince
Please no! I left the US to get away from him and his war corporatists. Don't let his corrupt feet stain this country. He doesn't deserve it.
Stu
No! He's done enough damage, around the world already. God bless America, yeah right!
Kirsten
Honestly I would rather he didn't. After all he stands for everything we dislike. He won't support Kyoto protocol, he wants to kill Iraq, he is a idiot (see we can insult American politicians but not Kiwi ones) and basically the most boring individual in creation.
Nita the newshound
Yes. I'd love George Bush to vist NZ. Quite apart from his blooper entertainment value he would liven up the local news on Coromandel FM. Folks here are sick of hearing about Thames Coromandel District Council and Environment Waikato Pest Management Strategy. We could put Mr. Bush on air with some of our own local ranchers and see how he copes with some "good ole boys" from deep in Coromandel country!
Steve Schoenberg
I would favour Bush visiting only if we promptly arrest him for war crimes. Providing he is in jail, I would favour him staying a while.
John W
No thanks! The only place Bush deserves to visit is a court for war criminals, along with his bloodsoaked greedy mates Rove and Cheyney.
Thom
No. Why would we want the most loathed man on the planet visiting our shores? Just keep walking George.
Ghostface
I believe this would be a threat to the New Zealand people, in case something happens - remember also the homeless got locked up in Mount Eden prison when Clinton visited last time Apec was in Auckland.
S. Conde
I don't want George Bush to visit our country. I would much prefer we kept ourselves distant from his Government and its hypocrisy. The American military is the most dangerous terrorist group currently operating and New Zealand should not seek to be seen as a part of it.