Should Barack Obama get red-carpet treatment for his private NZ trip?

Wednesday, 21 March 2018

Former US president Barack Obama will be in New Zealand for a short stay this week.

Former United States President Barack Obama's getting the red-carpet treatment during his trip to New Zealand.

He flew into the country in a private Gulfstream jet before being whisked away in a Crown limo, part of a six-vehicle motorcade. He was ferried to Northland on Wednesday morning by helicopter to play golf at one on the country's exclusive courses, Kauri Cliffs.

There are other indulgent aspects to his flying visit, during which he'll speak to about 1000 invited guests at an event run by the NZ-US Council in Auckland on Thursday. That event's sponsored by Air New Zealand, Westpac and Mastercard.

He'll be hosted by New Zealand's poet laureate Selina Tusitala Marsh, questioned by one actor Sam Neill and served dinner by one of the country's most famous chefs, Peter Gordon - who's arrived from London for the Thursday event.

* Key on Obama: We're golfing tragics

* Obama and John Key's bromance endures

* Former US president, John Key take to the fairwa**y

Not everyone's comfortable with it.

As a unionist and peace activist, Mike Treen said it's 'absurd' for taxpayers to be funding Obama's 'money-making trip'.

But how absurd is the visit really?

University of Canterbury Professor Alex Tan didn't have an issue with the privacy and upmarket aspects of Obama's visit.

'It's a private visit and it's being funded by the NZUS Council so there's no obligation [to the public], that's the way I look at it,' Tan said.

But it was the way the visit was publicised that caused confusion.

People had thought it would be a similar trip to a state visit with public events, but it wasn't, he said.

Treen is the national director for Unite Union and the spokesperson for Global Peace and Justice Auckland. 'It's grotesque in my view what US presidents … do after they finish. They simply go on a money making circuit,' he said.

'They cash in after they're in office and become multi-multi-millionaires. I don't think the taxpayer, it's our job to facilitate private fundraising projects by retired politicians.'

Going on the private speaking circuit isn't new or uncommon for former presidents or prime ministers.

The Washington Speakers Bureau website represents and provides public speakers.

It has a database that includes former heads of state and government.

Among them are former US President George W. Bush, former United Kingdom Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, to name a few.

Former US Ambassador Mark Gilbert, Barack Obama, John Key and Craig Heatley on the golf course.

However, Activist John Minto wasn't sold on Obama's high-end visit either.

'It reinforces the idea that there's a political class that's synonymous with the wealthy,' Minto said.

'I think the fact that he's recently departed president of the US … it really implies that these people are not really interested in what the public think or do.

'They are interested in making money. Their [former presidents] value in [post-office careers] is maximising on their wealth.'

Fmr US President Barack Obama playing golf at Kauri Cliffs Golf Course in Northland.

Trips like the one Obama was on - paid for by wealthy people - was what would provide his income now.

Tan said if people weren't seeing it as a private trip, they needed to understand the nature of how it was funded.

'People might say 'oh, the Government is chipping in for the security of it' … and 'because we contributed $50,000 to his safety all of us need to see him',' Tan said.

'But if we do that, $50,000 won't be enough for his safety.

'The way I view it, he's an ex-president who's a very popular ex-president. People want to see him but it's the nature of how he was invited. He was invited by a business council with private money and needless to say, the people who are members of the council or invited have first dibs, and rightfully so.'

Tan said meeting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was simply a 'courtesy call'.

Despite knowing Obama was on a private trip, New Zealanders would be interested in him because the last time a president - or ex-president - visited was so long ago, Tan said.

Because he didn't visit while he was president, his presence would be treated with a similar level of enthusiasm as if he still were.

'The aura around it is that he's president but he's not. He's an ex-president. He's a private citizen.'