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In 1984 I was working as senior copywriter and producer at Auckland’s top rated radio station (Radio i) when I got a phone call from an old friend. He’d parlayed a successful career as a talk-radio host in San Francisco to becoming a top broadcast and print journalist and author. He called to ask me if I’d be interested in becoming NBC News’ reporter in New Zealand.
The reason NBC News wanted a NZ correspondent was due to the massive political upheaval that saw NZ’s conservative government headed by the pugnacious Robert Muldoon soundly defeated and replaced by a decidedly left wing Labour government headed by David Lange.
The new government had an antiwar, anti-nuclear policy that led to its refusal to let a US Navy vessel visit NZ unless the US government was willing to confirm it was carrying no nuclear weapons. The US refused to “either confirm or deny” and NZ declined permission for the visit. As a result the joint defense agreement between Australia, New Zealand and the Untied States (aka ANZUS) was considered to have been broken by New Zealand.
Ronald Reagan’s administration reacted – many say over-reacted – restricting certain NZ imports, imposing increased tariffs on others and withdrawing military cooperation between the US and NZ. NZ products like butter, cheese and lamb were banned in US supermarkets and what used to be a friendly relationship became hostile and, in my opinion, a bit childish – like the school yard bully flexing it’s muscles.
The period became known for the “ANZUS Row” and NBC News wanted someone on the ground to report on any escalation or any other news that would be of interest to an American audience.
As it turned out and thanks to more pragmatic and rational minds than political posturing the ANZUS was smoothed over out of the glare of media attention. But there were other news stories like the bombing and sinking of the Greenpeace “Rainbow Warrior” in Auckland Harbour that I covered from the morning of the bombing to the trial and sentencing of the two defendants, followed by their release to serve the remainder of their sentence in French Polynesia.
That’s another story. This is about the Royal Tour of HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in NZ in 1986.
I ran into Prince Philip – almost literally – during the Royal Tour of NZ in 1986. I was covering the tour for NBC News (in case there was an assassination attempt or any other juicy happenings) and standing in a large VIP crowd in Auckland’s Aotea Square talking to one of my former bosses at Progressive Enterprises. Doug had retired, become an Auckland City Council councillor and we were talking about old times before the company had been taken over by the Australian bean counters.
There was a lot of noise and I was trying to ignore the protesters on the other side of the cordon separating the official area from the public. Someone called my name and I stepped back, turned around only to be pushed gently but firmly out of Prince Philip’s way by one of the security detail as he and HRH Queen Elizabeth walked by slowly, waving at the crowd and smiling. The queen was turned the other way, but Philip and I were still quite close and he looked me over, smiled and shook his head like my father would have done had I’d done something naughty but amusing while he was watching.
Once they’d passed and were swallowed by the crowd Doug excused himself to follow along to some official meet and greet in the council building. I thought about heading back to my office a couple of blocks away or shifting to a nearby pub for a pint of their finest. I’m pretty sure what Prince Philip and Doug would have have preferred.
Pieces from a Puzzling Life 