VZCZCXRO5898
RR RUEHNZ
DE RUEHWL #0533 1922255
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 112255Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3015
INFO RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 0830
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000533 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR D (FRITZ), EAP/FO, AND EAP/ANP 
NSC FOR VICTOR CHA 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD LIZ PHU 
PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV NZ
SUBJECT:  DEPARTING NZ MINISTER ASSUMES NEW TRADE ROLE 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Labour Cabinet Minister Jim Sutton has announced his 
retirement from politics to become a Trade Ambassador for New 
Zealand and Chair of Landcorp. His departure from Parliament will 
not alter the balance of power as he will be replaced by the next 
person on the Labour Party List, lawyer Charles Chauvel. Sutton's 
departure is the first step taken by Labour in a process to replace 
some of its longer serving MPs with fresh talent ahead of the next 
election. End Summary. 
 
New roles 
--------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) As Ambassador for Trade, Sutton will have a roving 
commission to support the Government in bilateral and regional trade 
negotiations. Although this is officially a new position, Trade 
Minister Goff has told the Ambassador that Sutton will largely 
continue the same function as he has as Minister of State and 
Associate Trade Minister, a position he's held since December 31, 
¶2005. Sutton will continue to explore new possibilities for trade 
agreements, attend conferences, and in general backstop for the 
tremendously busy Goff, who is also New Zealand's Minister of 
Defence. Sutton's appointment is initially set for two years. 
According to press reports, he was offered diplomatic posts in 
Ottawa, Canberra and Washington but turned them all down citing a 
desire to be based in New Zealand with his wife, a Wellington-based 
policy analyst. 
 
¶3. (SBU) As chairman of the board of the State-owned Landcorp, he 
will oversee New Zealand's largest agricultural enterprise. Both 
appointments take effect from August 1. 
 
Electorate defeat reins in ministerial career 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) An MP of 18 years, Sutton has previously held the 
agriculture, forestry, rural affairs, biosecurity and trade 
negotiations portfolios. A farmer before entering Parliament, Sutton 
lost his electorate seat in the last general election and had to 
return to Parliament as a list MP only. The loss of his seat led 
many analysts to predict his eventual departure from politics.  It 
also opened Labour to criticism over its practice of using list 
slots to retain in Parliament those MPs who had lost their 
electorate seats. 
 
Political status quo preserved despite Sutton's exit 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) As a list MP, Sutton's departure from Parliament will not 
alter the current balance of power. He will be replaced as a Labour 
MP by the next person on the Labour Party List, Wellington lawyer 
Charles Chauvel. Chauvel, 37, has been a partner in the law firm, 
Minter Ellison. He has also chaired the New Zealand Aids Foundation, 
served as a board member of the Public Health Commission, and been 
Deputy Chair of both the New Zealand Lottery Commission and Meridian 
Energy, New Zealand's largest State-owned electricity generator. It 
is expected that Chauvel will serve out the remainder of the 
parliamentary term as a junior backbench MP. 
 
Exit the first step of renewal process for Labour 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Sutton's departure signals the first stage of a process to 
rejuvenate Labour's parliamentary ranks.  Prime Minister Helen Clark 
is known to be looking for dignified exits from several of Labour's 
long-serving MPs before the next election in an effort to bring in 
fresh political talent. Although it is well known that Sutton has 
mixed feelings about departing the political scene, this first phase 
of the process was a fairly painless one for Clark. However, it 
remains to be seen whether the acquiescence of the departing Sutton 
will be replicated by other long-serving MPs targeted in the 
rejuvenation process. 
 
McCormick