Quiet adviser whose views moulded NZ

By VERNON SMALL deputy political editor

You couldn't say he's had a high public profile.

Ministry of Economic Development chief executive Paul Carpinter has been a key adviser to every Prime Minister since Bill Rowling, yet last week he granted his first - and possibly last - media interview in 28 years of public service.

In that time he has built a reputation as a consummate operator, getting the job done with a minimum of fuss and controversy. In short, a bureaucrat's bureaucrat.

But he is quitting two days before his 50th birthday in February, going back to Christchurch and ending a career at the hub of political power.

Mr Carpinter has a reputation as one of the Treasury-trained economic dries who helped drive the post-1984 reforms.

In 1996, Michael Cullen worried about "Treasury dominance" after he was appointed to head the Commerce Ministry. Before the 1999 election, Helen Clark had Mr Carpinter on a shortlist of "new-right acolytes" who might not fit in a new-look public sector.

But Mr Carpinter brushes aside the barbs.

"I didn't take them all that seriously because I had been through a few elections before," he says.

"I managed to work as one of Mr Bolger's closest advisers and Mr Lange's closest advisers. Now I am working with Mr Anderton. I think I earned the respect of all of them."

Simon Murdoch, who worked closely with him before becoming New Zealand's High Commissioner to Australia, and Mark Prebble, who worked with him at Treasury and now heads the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, believe the acolyte label was unfair.

"He was not into reform for reform's sake and never gave partisan advice," says Mr Murdoch.

Mr Carpinter's influence has spanned a generation since he was seconded from Treasury to give independent advice to Bill Rowling.

Their first exchange was direct:

"Are you a Labour Party member?"

"No."

"Good."

He helped draft wage price regulations for Rob Muldoon in 1982 in two days. He was there in the early stages of the CER agreement with Australia, advised David Lange on economics during the meltdown in 1987-90.

He was an assistant commissioner at the State Services Commission, a key adviser to Jim Bolger and managed the politically-charged sale of Forestcorp in 1996.

In 1996 he took the top job at the Commerce Ministry and, under its new name, has started on Alliance leader Jim Anderton's "jobs machine."

Labour Department chief executive John Chetwin, a former colleague, said Mr Carpinter's contribution was greatest in micro-economic policy, particularly in protection and subsidies.

His late-1970s paper about the impact of trade protection on growth raised Muldoon's eyebrows, but was a critical trigger for later work on opening the economy to competition.

But Mr Carpinter's career highlight was working on British Chancellor Nigel Lawson's move to reduce sub-Saharan debt - a plan which was eventually picked up by other nations and went on to affect millions.

His approach was a perfect blend of public service ingredients - practicality, altruism and political self-interest.

"The point was that if a poor country was trying to service debt, it could not purchase other things that it might need more. They were hiding from reality because there was no way the whole of the debt was ever going to be serviced properly."

On the domestic front, he rates his major achievements as restructuring the Companies Office - lowering costs and improving service in a win-win for the public and private sectors - and managing the sale of Forestcorp.

Mr Prebble goes further, saying the care he showed ensured no commission of inquiry was held on the complex Forestcorp sale, despite the delicate political and Maori issues involved.

At the time Mr Carpinter and Mr Anderton were on opposite sides, with the Alliance leader pledging to buy Forestcorp back. But since the election insiders say Mr Anderton has come to regard Mr Carpinter with something close to affection.

Mr Carpinter's low-key public profile was a conscious choice made in his early days in politics.

"I learned a lot working for Bill Rowling. Your private life's very important. He paid a big price. After working for him I never had any interest or desire in a political career on the other side of the fence."

Those who have worked with him describe him as shy, even reclusive, and "a real worrier."

Mr Prebble says he not only looked around corners, but around corners that weren't there.

"But as far as I am concerned he is a hero of the public service."

Simon Murdoch remembers him as "a bit like Alec Guinness' portrayal of George Smiley" in John Le Carre's novels - drab clothes, tousled hair, thick glasses and a quiet, self-deprecating intelligence.

"An unlikely chief executive," he says. "Just an ordinary Kiwi."

Mr Carpinter sums up his own approach as a close attention to detail. But he acknowledges he may have suffered a greater personal toll than other chief executives.

"When you are the last person a senior minister or a prime minister talks to before they make a decision, that's a position you have to worry about. You know, that 3 o'clock in the morning feeling, did I get that right? Others seem to be able to do that kind of thing without showing the large frown ... "

His greatest regret was failing to achieve the near-impossible - reconciliation between David Lange and Roger Douglas in the dark days of 1988.

"As Mr Lange's economics adviser it was my job to find those kinds of ways forward. Clearly I failed because the Government fell over. At the end of the day they had a different view of the world. Mr Douglas felt that the market pricing mechanism could deliver in social policy areas and Mr Lange thought that it couldn't."

As if to belie his ultra-cautious public work, Mr Carpinter is a dyed-in-the-wool petrolhead with a taste for speed. He has owned a string of powerful motorbikes and cars - including a Ferrari. Those close to him say he still watches every Formula One race on TV - even in the small hours - and is a dab-hand at video car racing.

Other than that, Mr Carpinter admits to few outside interests. Work has left little time for anything else.

But now the move to Christchurch and an end to the rat race will leave more time for his young family.

And then? Teaching or contracting maybe, but he has no firm plans.

He might like to ask John Chetwin for a steer: "If we are serious about developing regions and their capabilities and devolving power then the regions will need people like him. He is ready made for that."