Clifton Webb
 Clifton Webb    (politician, diplomat) | |
|---|---|
 In 1949 | |
| Born | 8 March 1889 |
| Died | 6 February 1962 (Age 72) |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Alma mater | Auckland Grammar School, Auckland University College |
| Party | New Zealand National Party |
Attended the fourth Bilderberg as New Zealand High commissioner to the United Kingdom
| |
Sir Thomas Clifton Webb KCMG QC, known as Clifton Webb, was a New Zealand politician and diplomat. One of very few from the Southern hemisphere, he is the only known Bilderberger from New Zealand.
Education
He was born in 1889. He received his education at Auckland Grammar School, and then studied at Auckland University College.[1]
Career
He sat in Parliament from 1943 until 1954: first as an Independent National MP for Kaipara (1943–1946) and then as the National Party MP for Rodney (1946–1954).
A key aide to party leader Sidney Holland, he was appointed to Attorney-General upon National gaining power in 1949. As Minister of Justice, he was responsible for drafting the legislation that resulted in the abolition of the Legislative Council.[2]
In 1951, he alsobecame Minister for External Affairs and Minister of Island Territories, which he held until 1954. New Zealand was involved in the Korean war, the Cold War was at its height and the Colombo Plan and ANZUS were relatively new. ANZUS was New Zealand's first treaty outside its relationship with Britain, and Webb set about explaining it to the country. He attended the first ANZUS Council meeting, and was subsequently involved in the negotiations leading to the Indochina peace settlement and the formation of SEATO in Manila in 1954. He particularly welcomed the Manila treaty because it tied Britain into the shift of New Zealand's strategic commitment from the Middle East to South East Asia.[3]
When he in July 1954 suggested that the time had come to admit communist China to the United Nations, the hostile reaction of the United States administration led prime minister Holland to repudiate Webb's suggestion.[3] At the time, New Zealand was a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Event Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1956 | 11 May 1956 | 13 May 1956 | Denmark Fredensborg | The 4th Bilderberg meeting, with 147 guests, in contrast to the generally smaller meetings of the 1950s. Has two Bilderberg meetings in the years before and after |
References
- ↑ Petersen, George Conrad (1961). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1961 (7th ed.). Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. p. 290.
- ↑ https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5w16
- ↑ a b https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5w16/webb-thomas-clifton
