Obama's dinner guest list is a who's who of business and politics
Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Former United States President Barack Obama will address and dine with 1000 people in Auckland on Thursday night.
However, Obama's office and the New Zealand United States Council that brought him here with the financial help of Air New Zealand, Westpac and Mastercard, have kept quiet on who will be in the room at the ANZ Viaduct Events Centre on Auckland's waterfront.
Despite the NZ US Council's receiving nearly $170,000 a year of public funding, Obama's office barred media from attending the event.
Obama's office said in an email that 'the engagement in Auckland is closed [to] press' and did not respond to a request for a copy of Obama's speech, or bullet points of the topics he would speak about at the event.
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THE GUEST LIST
The event is invite only. No tickets were sold.
NZ US Council chairman Leon Grice said in February that the business sponsors of Obama's visit had 'put forward some names' to invite to the dinner.
'We are making sure it is a full cross-section of New Zealand society from community leaders to youth leaders and businesspeople.'
Westpac chief executive David McLean was on an overseas holiday and would not attend the event. Westpac head of consumer bank and wealth Simon Power, a former commerce minister, would attend on his behalf with a 'small group of employees', Westpac spokesman Will Hine said.
Hine would not say who, or how many names, it put forward to the council to invite.
BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope was attending, as was Global Women chief executive Miranda Burdon.
SkyCity chief executive Graeme Stephens, Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson and Mercury NZ chief executive Frasey Whineray were all invited to the event but would not attend for undisclosed reasons.
Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns, Xero founder Rod Drury and Spark chief executive Simon Moutter said they were not attending.
Although media were barred from the event, Stuff chief executive Sinead Boucher and RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson would also attend the dinner.
Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard, Labour deputy leader Kelvin Davis and Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Peeni Henare would be there, along with National's leader Simon Bridges, deputy leader Paula Bennett and finance spokeswoman Amy Adams.
Ngāti Whātua community leader Dame Naida Glavish told Māori Television she would also be in attendance.
'It's not for him to teach us but instead for us to demonstrate how Māori host their visitors.'
'During his visit here he will learn how [we] look after the impoverished,' she told Māori Television.
Glavish said she was sorry his wife Michelle Obama won't be joining him.
'She's a strong female leader, a woman known for her consideration of all women who are impoverished,' she said.
EVENT AGENDA
Grice said Obama was likely to discuss his presidency, diversity and youth leadership.
An executive who did not want to be named said Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon would make a speech at the event.
Hope said actor Sam Neill will interview Obama before dinner and open the floor to questions from the audience before dinner.
He said he hoped Obama would share stories from his presidency after the global financial crisis in 2008.
If given the chance, he would ask Obama about the risks and opportunities for New Zealand and how to 'make the most of trade in a world changing towards protectionism,' Hope said.
Burdon said she was 'just delighted to hear what he has to say'.
His external view on what New Zealand did well and could do better would be beneficial, she said.