Wikileaks: Americans frustrated with NZ foreign policy

[Joanne98]

More diplomatic cables released by the WikiLeaks website reveal how frustrated American diplomats were with New Zealand taking an independent foreign policy line.

In the cables, Wellington-based American diplomats express their frustration over what they call the then-Labour Government's anti-American attacks during the 2005 general election campaign.

One goes as far as criticising former New Zealand Ambassador to Washington John Wood, for not publicly criticising his own Government's policy while still an ambassador.

It says some blame Mr Wood for what it terms 'sub-optimal ties' with Washington because he overplayed the idea of a free trade agreement with then-Prime Minister Helen Clark and underplayed American displeasure with Labour's campaign antics and continued concerns over this country's anti-nuclear policy.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/64589/americans-frustrated-with-nz-foreign-policy

[Matilda]

1. I admired the guts of little New Zealand in taking its own line on U.S. relations.

I wished that Australian politicians were half as courageous.

But now that John Key is in power, the U.S. will have no worries about N.Z. being in lockstep.