By james art 
Gilbert is helping Harris’ campaign with both fundraising and door-knocking. He talks to Herald of Pittsburgh ahead of Harris’ rallies on Tuesday. He said Key’s assessment of Trump and Harris was “not accurate at all.”
Gilbert was ambassador to New Zealand when Key was prime minister and Barack Obama, a Democrat, was president. Key and Obama have met repeatedly and remain in contact. Obama is helping Harris’ campaign.
Gilbert said he and his wife, Nancy, got to know the Keys well and became good friends.
“[We] has had numerous conversations about Donald Trump, he knows how we feel about it. Sir John and I probably agree on most things, but he knows we don’t agree on Donald Trump.
Key said he thinks Trump will have an advantage if he can keep the debate on the economy going. Polls in the seven battleground states reflect a very close race.
Gilbert said he believes it will be a “mistake race,” but his optimism for a Harris victory is 9 out of 10, saying she has a good chance of attracting undecided voters — especially women.
“I believe women will turn out in record numbers, young people will vote in record numbers and we have a very complex game on the ground. I think people will be surprised how strong her performance is on Tuesday.”
Regarding Key’s assessment of Harris as very left-leaning, Gilbert said Harris was “tough as nails” in the U.S. Senate and was also a prosecutor.
“She’s tried drug cartels, she’s dealt with very serious crimes and she’s been very strong about it. So for anyone to think she is a far-left politician is far from the truth.
He also argues that it is trite to say that only those who are right-of-center or Republican are good for the economy. He said that under the Democrats, the economy grew and more people came out of poverty and into the middle class, more jobs were created.
“So we’re to believe that Donald Trump as president would be good for the economy? He was the first president since the Great Depression to lose his job.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon did not give his opinion on who he thinks will win or which candidate is best for New Zealand, saying he will work with whoever wins the election. It was the same response Key gave as prime minister when Trump won the 2016 election over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Asked about the fate of New Zealand’s hopes for a free trade deal and the high tariffs Trump is proposing, Luxon said there doesn’t appear to be much political appetite for free trade deals on either side, and he doesn’t see that changing.
“I appreciate that there are many policies that have been proposed by both candidates … my commitment is that we will work very positively with whomever the American people elect.”
He said New Zealand’s preparations included building relationships with Democratic and Republican politicians in Congress and the Senate, including during his visit to Washington earlier this year.
He said when he got a chance to meet the next president he would make the case for New Zealand as a small trading nation that relies on the rules-based international system
Gilbert said trade is not the most important factor people should consider when deciding whether Harris or Trump is the best choice for the world.
“Donald Trump has shown incredible authoritarian and dictatorial tendencies and believes he should be able to rule.” It would be terrible for New Zealand and the entire Western Alliance to have someone who doesn’t care about anyone but himself. It would be incredibly dangerous.”
He said Harris gained a lot of experience in international relations as vice president during a period that included the Russia-Ukraine war and ongoing tensions in the Indo-Pacific.