Timothy John Groser (born 6 March 1950) is a New Zealand politician and diplomat. A member of the New Zealand National Party, Groser was a Member of Parliament between 2005 and 2015, and a cabinet minister between 2008 and 2015. He resigned from Parliament on 19 December 2015 to take up the role of New Zealand's ambassador to the United States of America.
In the 1980s he was appointed New Zealand's chief agricultural negotiator in the GATT Uruguay round before being promoted to Chief Negotiator midway through negotiations. He subsequently became New Zealand's ambassador to Indonesia from 1994 to 1997.[4]
Between 2002 and 2005, Groser has served as New Zealand's Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and as the WTO's chairman of agricultural negotiations.[5] He was heavily involved in the Doha round of discussions.[6]
Member of Parliament
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2014)
In 2005 Groser opted to leave the civil service and run for Parliament. He was selected to stand as a list-only candidate for the National Party in the 2005 election. He was placed 13th on the list and as a result was comfortably elected.
After the 2008 election he was given a Cabinet position with the Conservation and Trade portfolios.
Groser made international headlines in late 2012 when he said that the New Zealand Government would not sign up for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.[7][8] Tim Groser said the 15-year-old agreement was outdated, and that New Zealand was "ahead of the curve" in looking for a replacement that would include developing nations.[9]
Groser speaking at the WTO Director-General selection process in 2013
Despite no official announcement having been made, New Zealand media reported earlier in 2015 that Groser was "widely expected" to replace Mike Moore as ambassador to the United States.[13][14] This was confirmed by prime minister John Key on 7 December 2015, with Groser relinquishing his roles on 14 December.[15] Groser will take up his post as ambassador in early 2016.[16]
In July 2015, Groser said he believed reasonable people were being "whipped up into a frenzy" over issues like pharmaceutical costs and investor-state dispute settlement by people who, for ideological reasons, oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.[17]
Post-parliamentary life
Groser resigned from Parliament on 19 December 2015 to take up the role of New Zealand's ambassador to the United States of America. He served a three-year appointment until August 2018. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters denied that Groser had been recalled, stating that Groser had not sought an extension to his three-year term as Ambassador. According to Stuff, the New Zealand Government was unhappy with Groser's failure in securing an exemption from the Trump Administration's steel tariffs.[18]
On 10 July 2023, Groser welcomed New Zealand's recently signed free trade agreement with the European Union, stating that the "deal is more valuable strategically and politically than economically for the EU bloc, and helps New Zealand diversify away from China."[19]
Personal life
Groser converted to Islam to marry Milda Emza, an Indonesian Muslim and his second wife, in 1996, during his tenure as ambassador to Indonesia. They are no longer married.[20]
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