Public face of very private man
Murray McCully has, at times, been at the centre of a maelstrom of controversy, writes Vernon Small. Life is about to get a whole lot quieter for the departing foreign minister.
For the past 8 12⁄ - years, Murray McCully has been the international face of the New Zealand Government. From the micro-states of the Pacific to the United Nations Security Council – including a very public falling out with Israel over a New Zealand-sponsored resolution - he was former prime minister John Key’s right-hand man as foreign minister.
But, despite that high-profile, he has been remarkably private and fiercely protective of his family. It has been a public life lived out of the public eye. And that is just the way he likes it.
During an ‘‘exit interview’’ before he heads for the back benches next week, and out of politics for good at the election, he is not about to change the habits of a political lifetime.
Yet, over the 30 years since he was first elected MP for East Coast Bays - and in stints as minister under first Jim Bolger in the 1990s and then John Key - he has at times been at the centre of a maelstrom of controversy.
Most notable was the revolt of the mandarins at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, when normally sober-sided and loyal diplomats took to the trenches to oppose a restructuring. McCully did distance himself from the plan, pushed through by chief executive John Allen, and publicly expressed his ‘‘misgivings’’ but it was an unprecedented revolution in the public service.
Then there was the Saudi sheep deal that saw New Zealand fork out $12 million to set up an experimental sheep farm in the desert to keep an influential businessman onside - and help clear a road block to a future free trade deal. The auditor-general cleared the deal of any suggestion of corruption or ‘‘facilitation payments’’ but found ‘‘shortcomings’’ in the Cabinet paper McCully presented to colleagues.
He concedes the ‘‘process’’ could have been better but says it was one of many issues he was handling - including campaigning for a seat on the Security Council and travelling. But McCully insists he did the best he could to fix a ‘‘poisoned’’ relationship with the Gulf region.
The latest was the way he slammed MFAT boss Brook Barrington and the ministry for ‘‘dropping the ball’ by failing to brief him adequately about the impact of Donald Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims. In response, the ministry set up a ‘‘24/7’’ unit to monitor and advise on the new president. ‘‘Spilt milk,’’ McCully says about it now.
For a politician with the reputation as a hard man, a backroom Machiavelli and an ‘‘operator’’, he is remarkably warm and funny - though not so much if you are an official who has reported to him over the years.
But McCully says he was never in politics ‘‘for the ride’’ and while ‘‘assertive’’ had been ‘‘professional and constructive’’ too.
And he concedes he was prominent in some of the political coups and infighting in the National Party, including John Key’s rise to the top.
He was ‘‘fairly involved in the discussions’’ that led to Key being elected National leader.
As for a reputation as a Machiavellian dark prince? ‘‘Look, people have got to sell newspapers and fill six o’clock bulletins ... that means they have to find ways of characterising people who are unable to talk about their roles. I have personally been treated extremely harshly and have been deeply hurt by the experience but I’ll try and get over it.’’
But Key was the right horse to back, and McCully rates him.
‘‘There is simply no comparison with John Key. He was a guy that got out of bed every morning to be positive about things. He was a very disciplined guy, despite the smile and the relaxed demeanour ... and ruthless about getting to where he wanted to get to.’’
He becomes most animated when talking about the Pacific, in particular his promotion of renewable energy (‘‘$2 billion of our money and other people’s money’’) to reduce the economic and environmental cost of importing diesel in small islands like Tokelau. More recently that has involved protecting and managing their most valuable resource - fishing.
‘‘In an environment where lots of feelgood things happen, we’ve done practical things.’’
But again he denies the ‘‘personal’’ in the success.
‘‘In that sense I think it’s a big win for New Zealand.’’
Look at the public databases and there is scarce detail of his personal life, beyond where he went to school, his qualification as a lawyer and his long relationship with columnist Jane Clifton - who is now married to his rival across the chamber Trevor Mallard.
Of his former marriage there is nothing, nor any mention of his two adult sons.
He said he had made up my mind quite early in his political career to engage with the media ‘‘but not to try and get myself on magazine covers’’.
‘‘If you court that sort of publicity you have to take everything that happens and I decided that I wanted to get on and do my job.’’
So what about now he is leaving? Will he give away anything about his personal plans?
‘‘I’ve had my first golf lesson it’s clear that I have considerable natural talent, but it might need a bit of shaping.’’
He also planned to fly, having got to the stage of going solo before he became foreign minister and had to ditch the hobby.
But he was not looking for a job once he leaves Parliament. He once said he would rather ‘‘cut off his arm with a rusty saw’’ than become a diplomat.
Yet he says there are some things he could do to make use of his experience and networks and he had been approached.
Though he would not reveal anything yet, it is odds somewhere in the Pacific will be on his boarding pass.
Just don’t expect a book - let alone a tell-all magazine article about the life of Murray Stuart McCully, MP from 1987 to 2017.
"If you court that sort of publicity you have to take everything that happens and I decided that I wanted to get on and do my job." Foreign Minister Murray McCully