MEETING THE NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER: 1986

The phone went in my hotel room and the receptionist at the Tennis Centre informed me that there was a man wanting to speak with me. As the Tennis Director at the Hilton Bangkok it was normal for me to be contacted like this about problems from time to time.

The man I spoke with was apologetic, saying that he had broken one of our hire racquets while playing.  I assured him that it was not a problem and not to concern himself.  He then asked if I was a New Zealander, which I was, and explained that he was in Bangkok with the New Zealand Prime Minister and would I like to meet him? I thought how funny it was that I lived in New Zealand for 25 years and never meet the most important man in the land, but get the opportunity to meet face to face with him within 6 months of living in Thailand!

David Lange was a much admired leader.  He had grown up in a poorer suburb of Auckland, his father was the local doctor.  That alone must have singled him out as different to his peers.  As a young lawyer he gained a reputation for waiving fees if he felt his client couldn’t afford the bill.  As he became more prominent in New Zealand politics it was his sharp intellect and brilliance as a speaker that made him stand out from other politicians of the day.

David Lange will be remembered best as a leader during a time when New Zealand was starting to establish its own identity. He famously pulled New Zealand out of the ANZUS Treaty, a joint Australian, New Zealand and US defense pact and around the same time, banned all nuclear ships from docking in New Zealand.

At the designated time I made my way to the 5^th floor of the Hilton Hotel dressed in collar and tie.  I was ushered into a lounge area attached to the Prime Ministers suite.  When he appeared he was so low key and friendly that I was put at ease immediately. I expected a chance to merely meet and shake his hand but he sat down and we talked for the next 30 minutes.  He was a very warm guy and had tremendous empathy for the people around him.

Finally it was time to finish as he had another appointment.  To my surprise he asked me to follow him down to the hotel lobby, so down I went with the Prime Minister and his team.  When we stepped out into the lobby it had been cleared completely.  I again imagined that this would be where we would say our good byes but he kept me engaged in conversation and we eventually ended up in the centre of the lobby.  So there we stood, the Prime Minister and the Tennis Director chatting like old friends in the lobby with hundreds of on-lookers watching from the wings.

From behind the Prime Minister I noticed a commotion at the front door. Several important looking cars had just pulled up and the media were outside jostling for position.  Soon I was able to make out the person who was now entering the lobby from the far side.  It was the Thai Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda and he was walking straight towards us!  Prem was now about 5 meters away and with perfect timing David Lange stretched out his hand and thanked me for my time, wishing me good luck in my Thai coaching stint and simultaneously turned to greet Prem Tinsulanonda. 

I made my way out of the lobby and back to my room extremely grateful for the experience.