OBAMA SIGNS OFF
Barack Obama leaves New Zealand today but he may have room for one last visit. One tip has him heading out to Waiheke Island for a relaxing vineyard lunch. Last night he joked to guests at an exclusive dinner in Auckland he was here on a ‘scoping mission
Former US president Barack Obama will leave New Zealand this afternoon after one last glimpse of its scenery — he is tipped to be going to Waiheke Island for lunch.
However, outside the closed doors of his speaking event last night there were boos from disappointed fans who turned up for one of the few chances to see him in the flesh — his car went straight past them, its tinted windows preventing them seeing even a silhouette or a wave.
Inside the Viaduct Events Centre the rich and famous — from Willie Apiata to Trelise Cooper — rolled up to hear him speak but no media reporting was allowed.
Earlier in the day Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern finally got her time with Obama, who slightly made up for all the time he spent with former prime minister Sir John Key by going into overtime in his meeting with her.
Ardern later said he had given her parenting tips and she raised her fear she would feel guilty as she dealt with her leadership role and her baby.
“The question I asked was ‘how do you deal with guilt?’ Because I have no doubt I’m going to experience
some of that in the future as I juggle the roles I have.”
She said he had advised “you do your best”.
Ardern said Obama in person was very much the same as in the media.
“Incredibly warm and laid-back and approachable and very quick to make you feel at ease. We moved into a conversation pretty quickly. I’m a political nerd so I wanted to make the most of it.”
She said Obama had made particular mention of the powhiri at Government House where he was welcomed by Ngati Whatua o Orakei and experienced his first hongi. As he lined up for that, he laughed when a kaumatua warned him if he spent more than three seconds in a hongi with a kuia, they would consider it a marriage proposal.
Obama and his wife Michelle — who did not travel with her husband — were gifted carved whale-teeth pendants, which Ngati Whatua o Orakei spokesman Ngarimu Blair explained were a treasure reserved for great orators.
Ardern said Obama made particular mention of those gifts and the powhiri.
The Prime Minister was not concerned about Obama’s time with Key.
“There’s no doubt that over the period you’re in leadership that you form relationships with leaders that are serving at the time you’re in that role.”
But she also issued a reminder she was more politically aligned with the Democrat Obama than Key should be, saying they had talked about “the future of politics — and progressive politics in particular”.
“We didn’t talk about the golf — probably assumed that might have been lost on me.”
Obama had spoken to National leader Simon Bridges by phone earlier in the day after Key put through a call on his cellphone — and Bridges revealed Obama had joked Key was “a terrible cheat” at golf following the former National Party leader’s win over Obama the day before.
Last night Key would not say if Obama had a chance to even the score.
Ardern did not attend last night’s speaking event, saying she was lucky to have the one on one time she got. “It would be hard to replace that.” Asked if Obama had spoken specifically about US President Donald Trump, she said they had not focused on “domestic” politics.
“We didn’t get into particular international events or crises, it was a much more general conversation about the future of politics.”
They did not discuss the Kermadecs Ocean Sanctuary, which Obama had championed but which was put on ice over the issue of Maori fishing quota and remains there under the Labour and NZ First coalition agreement.
Obama will meet about 20 Maori women leaders from the Wahine Toa network this morning and is then expected to go to Waiheke Island for lunch before he flies out to Australia. His trip is co-sponsored by Air NZ, Westpac and MasterCard.