Ambassador to WTO dumped after joining Nats

Tim Groser

New Zealand's top trade negotiator, Tim Groser, has been dumped as ambassador to the World Trade Organisation.

Mr Groser is standing as a National Party candidate in the general election -- a decision Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton today described as betrayal.

Mr Groser told Mr Sutton on Friday he was retiring from the public service, but did not say when.

Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said he had been "placed on leave" and his duties taken over by deputy ambassador Tony Lynch.

"The electoral Act allows for Mr Groser to continue as an MFAT employee after the election if he is not elected," the ministry said in a statement.

"The Government has, however, decided that at this time it requires a WTO ambassador in Geneva, and it is therefore not able to keep this specific position unfilled throughout the pre-election period.

"Mr Groser will not carry out any of the duties and responsibilities of New Zealand's ambassador to the WTO."

Mr Groser holds another job at the WTO which is not decided by the Government.

He is chairman of its agricultural negotiations committee, appointed by the WTO' 148 member countries.

Mr Groser, and National Party leader Don Brash, believe it is possible to keep that job and be an MP at the same time.

That decision will be up to the Geneva-based committee, and Mr Groser is leaving tonight to talk to its members.

Mr Sutton said today there was no way Mr Groser would have got the job without being New Zealand's ambassador to the WTO.

The ministry said in its statement it would be consulting the WTO leadership about Mr Groser's chairmanship of the committee.

"In the meantime, Mr Groser is available to continue in this role," it said.

Earlier today Mr Sutton said Mr Groser seemed to think he could serve the Government and try to bring it down at the same time.

"He has let the team down. He has been one of several people in a key team," Mr Sutton said.

"Frankly to leave at this critical point is, I think, a betrayal of the debt of honour to see the job through that anyone in such a position accepts."

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald said Mr Sutton should "chill out".

"Mr Sutton is angry because he claims Mr Groser cannot support both the government of the day and National," Mr Donald said.

"Clearly he can, because their trade policies are identical."

Mr Donald said if Mr Groser wanted to continue in the job of chairing the WTO committee he should delay his swearing in as an MP until he was ready to meet those obligations.

- NZPA