Dear Editor,

Congratulations to Pete Hodgson, Minister for the Environment, and his staff, for their work on the Bonn agreement. They have demonstrated what New Zealanders who are passionate, and believe in their country's potential as international brokers, can accomplish.

As Pete Hodgson has noted, in Bonn New Zealand was at the heart of the negotiations, playing a brokering role between the umbrella group of nine non-European nations and the rest of the world, and New Zealand had been instrumental in getting the deal.

National's Don McKinnon led with similar drive, and understanding of New Zealand's potential as an intermediary, over the Bougainville conflict, for which New Zealand hosted successful negotiations.

There are other international issues and conflicts that could benefit from New Zealand leaders with such vision and drive. What leaders, and their staff, are there who can rise to this challenge?

Yours sincerely,

John Gallagher
Christchurch