Democratic presidential candidate former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Plumbers Local Union No 27 training centre in Erie, Pennsylvania, last month. Photo / AP
Democratic presidential candidate former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Plumbers Local Union No 27 training centre in Erie, Pennsylvania, last month. Photo / AP
Former high-profile New Zealand politicians are backing Biden to win the US election, but are warning it's still too close to definitively call a winner.
An election that Joe Biden was tipped to win by a landslide turned into a nail-biter as votes in the US are tallied up.
Aspokesman for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern did not want to comment on the election, when approached, as the result was still unclear.
But National's foreign affairs spokesman Simon Bridges said this was an "incredibly important" election for New Zealand, in terms of some vital foreign affairs issues.
These include global trade, climate change and regional security, Bridges said.
"More broadly, as the world continues to grow more unpredictable and volatile, we will be relying on the next President to take the lead on what's next."
But US Ambassador Scott Brown said that from a New Zealand perspective, it does not matter who wins.
"Quite frankly, this doesn't affect NZ-US relations at all – not at all," he said at the US Embassy's Election Day party in Wellington.
"We will be vibrant and healthy – we have shared common values regardless of who's president."
Brown told those in attendance that his country had an "amazing" democracy. "It may not be pretty, but it's definitely vibrant."
But as the votes poured in, there was unrest in the US and hundreds took to the streets in anger; some of them armed.
US President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with the National Association of Police Organisations in the White House in July. Photo / AP
Brown was critical of groups, such as the Black Lives Matter movement for causing violence across the US.
"You see the violence and you see some of the problems back home. Am I upset? Of course I'm upset – of course I am," he said.
"I think the message of George Floyd's death has been hijacked by people who, quite frankly, want a different agenda."
Meanwhile, former MPs were not shy about throwing their support behind Biden.
Former Deputy Speaker of the House, and former National Minister, Anne Tolley said she was backing Biden, as did Labour's Louisa Wall.
Peter Dunne, former United Future leader turned political commentator, said he hoped Biden would win as well.
"Simply because he's more likely to introduce stability into the international environment; it's clearly lacking at the moment with the Trump presidency."
He said that Trump's Presidency has been "unique".
"There has never been a President like him."
"I think he has broken all the rules, he's rewritten the rule book and I think he has caused a huge amount of concern as a consequence."
His comments are similar to those of former Prime Minister and New Zealand Ambassador to the US Jim Bolger, who said Trump's leadership has been "unpredictable and unfocused".
"The US has turned inward under Donald Trump's leadership and that is not good news for the world, or America," he said.
But Former Trade Minister Tim Grosser, who was also New Zealand Ambassador to the US, was a touch more diplomatic when speaking to MediaWorks.
