New Zealand and Australia have agreed to fast-track work on a more ambitious Single Economic Market (SEM), as Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay and Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell concluded the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Monarto, South Australia today.

Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to open markets and closer trans-Tasman cooperation to strengthen both countries’ economic resilience and competitiveness in the current global trading environment.

Key outcomes included:

• Advancing regulatory and standards alignment through a new Heads of Agreement between Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand.
• Deepening economic integration by strengthening the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement and progressing Single Economic Market reforms that make it easier for businesses to operate across the Tasman.
• Coordinating regional and global trade engagement, including joint action on WTO reform ahead of the upcoming Ministerial Conference, and collaboration through APEC, CPTPP and RCEP.

“This is about making it simpler for businesses to trade, invest and grow, not just between our two countries but across the wider region,” Mr McClay said.

The Ministers also welcomed input from businesses at last month’s Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum and committed to aligning government action with commercial priorities.

A joint statement was released following the meeting.

MIL OSI

New Zealand and the Republic of Korea have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to strengthen international cooperation on emergency management says Director Civil Defence Emergency Management John Price.

The agreement between New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea was signed at the APEC Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum on 30 July 2025.

“At the heart of emergency management is always people and their safety. NEMA expresses our deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased in Korea following the landslides and floods that occurred as a result of torrential rain in July,” John Price says.

“With the growing impacts of emergencies globally, it is critical that countries work together to build resilience, reduce risk, and improve preparedness for emergencies. The Memorandum of Cooperation with the Republic of Korea is an example of this, as emergencies and disasters have no boundaries.

“New Zealand and Korea face shared challenges from hazards such as severe weather, flooding and tsunami. This partnership enables us to learn from each other, improving and developing how we respond to and recover from these events.”

“The Memorandum of Cooperation will provide avenues for sharing best practices and lessons between our two countries, as well as opportunities for joint research and participation in training, workshops, and exercises, so we can prepare for and respond better in the future.

“The agreement reflects our shared commitment to improving resilience across the Asia-Pacific region through a more coordinated and collaborative approach. The emergency management system is both national and international.”

The agreement is part of NEMA’s work as an internationally recognised leader in emergency management. NEMA supports Emergency Management initiatives in the global arena with a specific focus on the Pacific and commitments under the United Nations and regional frameworks.

NEMA also has Memorandums of Cooperation with the Australian National Emergency Management Agency, Fiji National Disaster Management Office, the United States’ Federal Emergency Management Agency, Public Safety Canada, and The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

“On New Zealand’s worst day it will be our friends and colleagues from these countries who will come to our aid and support us. The whole of the system is greater and stronger than its parts. We all work as one together.”

MIL OSI

Energy Minister Simon Watts will travel to Busan, the Republic of Korea, to join leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region at the 15^th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Energy Ministers Meeting.

“Energy security and affordability are my bottom lines as Minister for Energy. International collaboration is crucial for achieving these goals, and I look forward to contributing to discussions on how we can build more resilient, secure, and sustainable energy systems in the region and harness energy innovation,” Mr Watts says.

“Korea’s theme for APEC 2025 – Building a Sustainable Tomorrow – is incredibly relevant for New Zealand as we deal with our own energy security and affordability challenges on our path to doubling renewable energy by 2050.

“The meeting is an important chance to connect with many of my counterparts and build momentum behind the region’s shared energy goals. In particular I intend to engage with colleagues from the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and Korea while offshore.”

Key topics of discussion include electricity expansion for a secure supply, strengthening grid security and reliability, and AI-driven energy innovation.

Mr Watts is attending the conference from Tuesday through Thursday. 

MIL OSI

Agriculture, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, in Washington this week to express New Zealand’s concerns over US tariffs, and the disadvantage this creates for Kiwi exporters in relation to other countries, many of whom subsidise their production.

Ambassador Greer recognised New Zealand applies low tariffs against US goods. He confirmed that the additional 5 per cent tariff imposed on New Zealand exports last month was in relation to New Zealand’s balance of trade surplus and represented a new bottom tariff rate of 15 per cent, or higher, for all countries that sold more to the US than they bought.

Product-specific trade investigations in areas including steel and aluminium, pharmaceuticals, and timber were also discussed.

Ambassador Greer and Minister McClay agreed that trade officials would meet over the coming months to discuss the impact of tariffs on New Zealand-US trade and consider practical ways to give exporters greater certainty.

Minister McClay recognised New Zealand’s relationship with the United States is important. Two-way trade is well balanced and complementary with New Zealand applying an average tariff rate of just 0.3 per cent on US goods imports. At different times, each side has enjoyed a trade surplus, reflecting the dynamic nature of the trade relationship.

Ambassador Greer and Minister McClay agreed to next meet during the ASEAN Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Malaysia in September and again at the APEC Leaders’ Summit in Korea in October where they would consider any next steps to strengthen trade.

Minister McClay, Secretary of Agriculture Rollins and Ambassador Greer discussed shared concerns about the harm that heavily subsidised, trade-distorting practices of some countries are causing to the New Zealand and US dairy industries.

They agreed that dairy farmers were important to both governments and that they shared significant concerns over the effect these trade-distorting practices have on our respective dairy industries.

They agreed to explore ways to jointly combat these harmful practices and support our dairy farmers.

MIL OSI

A leading e-cigarette brand’s global Instagram account is promoting vapes to vast audiences, including in New Zealand, where regulations prohibit vape marketing to young people.

Partnership deals with Formula One racing, and glamorous young influencers are promoting vapes to vast global audiences.

Many countries, including the UK and New Zealand, have brought in regulations to prevent marketing vapes to young people. Social media platforms also have policies for this purpose.

A new study published in Health Promotion International has found Vuse, the world’s leading e-cigarette brand, is using a global social account to enter into paid partnerships, including a Formula One racing team, to promote vapes to massive audiences.

“Collaborations with music festivals and influencers show that the company is targeting young people and may be using social media’s global reach to bypass local bans,” says Dr Lucy Hardie, a population health researcher at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, who led the international study.

“Fast cars and beautiful women are a tried-and-true marketing strategy used by the tobacco industry,” Hardie says.

The study reviewed more than 400 Instagram posts associated with the internationally leading e-cigarette brand, Vuse, owned by British American Tobacco, between August 2023 to July 2024.

Hashtags like #VuseInsider were used to promote brand ambassadors and festival experiences.
Vuse has partnerships with social media influencers who produce stylised ‘Get Ready with Me’ videos linked to music festivals.

“You see a beautiful young influencer choosing fashion and makeup set to cool music, a type of clip popular with young women. It finishes with her popping a vape into her handbag as she heads out the door to attend a music festival,” Hardie says.

Vuse also sponsors Formula One race team McLaren, meaning the company’s branding and logos are used in posts that are promoted to its nearly 14 million followers.

Despite the platform’s policy, these are seldom disclosed as paid partnerships, the study finds.
The researchers warn that Vuse’s global Instagram marketing strategy allows it to bypass national advertising bans, such as those in New Zealand and in the UK, effectively exploiting legal gaps and weak platform enforcement.

“Social media is borderless and so is this type of marketing,” Hardie says. “We urgently need global agreements restricting e-cigarette marketing on social media, and platforms need to enforce breaches of platform policy.

“There needs to be greater scrutiny and accountability for brand partnerships that target vulnerable audiences with highly addictive substances.”

The long-term health effects of youth vaping are not yet known, but associations are emerging in research that link vapes to heart and lung conditions, as well as well-established issues related to nicotine addiction.

Another related study just published in Tobacco Control reveals how one New Zealand-based vape company uses environmental schemes to maintain a presence at youth-oriented music festivals in New Zealand, despite a strict sponsorship ban since 2020.

The study, also led by Hardie with colleagues from the University of Otago and the University of Sydney, revealed that leading vape company VAPO has established a recycling initiative, VapeCycle, that can sponsor major festivals like Rhythm and Vines attended by more than 20,000 young people.

The company’s branding still features at the festivals on recycling bins. Hardie says the studies point to a need for stronger regulations and enforcement to better protect young people.

MIL OSI

The Honourable Job Pomat, Speaker of the Papua New Guinea National Parliament,

The Honourable James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea,

The Honourable Douglas Tomuriesa, Leader of the Opposition,

Honourable Members,

Distinguished guests, members of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen, and

The people of Papua New Guinea 

Tēnā koutou, Gutpela Morning Tru Olgeta, Good Morning to you all,

I want to begin by acknowledging the Motu-Koita People of the Port Moresby area, as the traditional custodians of the land on which we are gathered. Daba Namona.

I also wish to open by expressing my best wishes to all of Papua New Guinea, on your upcoming 50th Anniversary of Independence. On behalf of New Zealand and all New Zealanders, please accept my sincerest congratulations ahead of your Golden Jubilee. 

Mr Speaker, 

It is a deep honour for me to address this Parliament today.

I am extremely conscious of the rare privilege you have granted me, as the first Prime Minister of New Zealand invited to speak in this esteemed Chamber, and through all of you, Honourable Members, with the people of Papua New Guinea whom you represent. 

Because this building is more than a seat of government. It is a house where the spirit of Papua New Guinea finds its collective voice – voices of your tribes and towns, of your islands and highlands, of your elders and your youth, and of your men and women. They are voices that help navigate your national journey between tradition and transformation. 

And today, I am humbled to bring another voice, and – I hope – a spirit from your Pacific kith and kin from New Zealand – your friend.

Mr Speaker,

It is clear to me that Papua New Guinea is an ambitious nation.

And so you should be.

You are a nation whose spirit rises with the mist over the Highlands, whose determination flows with the mighty Sepik and Fly rivers, and whose potential is as high as Mt Wilhelm. 

You are a nation rich not only in natural beauty and resources, but in the resilience, creativity, and spirit of your people.

I know this venerable house is where you, as the nations’ elected leaders, are entrusted with the ambitions, the aspirations, the dreams of your people for a bright future.

But your country is not only ambitious — it is courageous. Papua New Guinea is not for the faint-hearted. Your mountains are precipitous, your coastlines wild, your cultures and languages legendarily diverse.

Yet you are charting your own course — embracing democracy, celebrating diversity, and pursuing development and peace in a uniquely human and Papua New Guinean way. 

Honourable Members, 

Your courage means Papua New Guinea has never shied away from acknowledging the development challenges you face, or questioning choices made or paths taken.  

Those are good questions any country should ask; neither of our nations should settle for the status quo or cease to strive for a better future.

But it is worth acknowledging that over the past fifty years, you have forged a land of 1000 tribes into one nation, one people, one country – through a shared commitment to democracy, the importance of community, and the belief that from diversity comes strength. 

These are values that New Zealand also shares. 

Mr Speaker,

Fifty years ago, New Zealand’s then Minister of Māori Affairs, Hon Matiu Rata, travelled to Papua New Guinea to represent the New Zealand Government at the independence ceremonies in Port Moresby. 

He carried with him a message from Prime Minister Rowling, conveying best wishes and a solemn promise: that Papua New Guinea “can count at all times on the affection, support, and good wishes of New Zealand”.

Even in 1975, it was clear that a prosperous and peaceful Papua New Guinea mattered to New Zealand. 

There are several reasons why. Your country is blessed with tremendous mineral wealth; vast agricultural potential; and a youthful, dynamic population. 

Your economic trajectory holds enormous promise for your own people, for our Pacific region, and for New Zealand. 

Our businesses are already working together, with Kiwi firms actively enabling your agricultural development, enhancing the efficiency of your resources sector, and delivering some of your most celebrated and important landmarks – including Gordon’s Market, the Kumul Flyover Bridge to Jacksons Airport, and this very Parliament.

Regionally, Papua New Guinea accounts for over three-quarters of the Pacific Islands landmass and almost two-thirds of its people. But your size means, where you go, the Pacific goes. Where you succeed, the Pacific succeeds. 

Your strategic position, connecting the Pacific to Asia, puts you at the heart of the Indo-Pacific, playing a critical role for trade routes, and presenting opportunities to renew and deepen ancient ties – whether it be through your successful hosting of APEC in 2018, or your convening power for major engagements that connect the Pacific to the wider world. 

But that same geographic position also means that in times of turbulence, including both World Wars and at no small cost, Papua New Guinea has acted as a barrier between conflict in the world and the rest of the region. Your country is, as you have pointed out to me Prime Minister, both a buffer and a bridge between Asia and the Pacific. 

It therefore almost goes without saying, Honourable Members, that Papua New Guinea matters to New Zealand. And the Government I lead is committed to strengthening our friendship and joint endeavours with you.

Mr Speaker, 

My visit is timed to celebrate 50 years of formal diplomatic relations between our two countries.

But our ties go back much further than this. For generations, our peoples have shared stories, trade, and traditions. 

Millennia ago, explorers voyaged your waters. Some remained amid the bounty of your islands. Others continued – and eventually some 800 years ago the ancestors of New Zealand Māori – reached the much colder but no less bountiful islands that we call home.

This shared heritage is the backbone of our relationship. We share ancient stories that link us across our beautiful but vast Pacific home.

Our peoples later reconnected, with New Zealand missionaries coming to Papua New Guinea in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to share their faith – a bond important to our peoples today. 

We later fought alongside one another during the Second World War, where the 3rd New Zealand Division played an active role in defending Papua New Guinea. Our largest amphibious operation during the war took place in this country, with New Zealand troops part of the effort to retake Torokina and Nissan Island – and four New Zealand Airforce Squadrons subsequently involved in the campaign to retake the critical airbase at Rabaul.

Our peoples fought and died together in those challenging times. And today, New Zealand soldiers lie in Papua New Guinean soil, in the hallowed cemeteries at Bomana, Lae, and Bita Paka. 

But those New Zealanders who returned spoke strongly of the welcome they received by Papua New Guineans, and the friendships they developed.  

The Post-war period saw those friendships increase further – with New Zealand teachers, nurses, builders, and engineers all coming to Papua New Guinea to support a new nation as you headed toward independence.   

Since then, our peoples have continued to actively support each others’ communities. No fewer than seven New Zealand Prime Ministers have visited Papua New Guinea since independence. I am honoured to be the eighth. 

The High Commissioner tells me that wherever he travels in Papua New Guinea, he finds New Zealanders – whether teaching in local schools, running small businesses, or supporting the work of NGOs. Some have been here for decades, quietly contributing to their communities and helping to foster the ties between our nations.

New Zealand volunteers have been active here since independence, contributing in fields ranging from nursing to agricultural science, and from fisheries to high school counselling. None have left unaffected by the warmth and the love they encountered here – you have a great many advocates back in New Zealand. 

The Papua New Guinean community in New Zealand is a vibrant one. It includes university lecturers and livestock consultants; small business owners and teachers. There are Papua New Guinean engineers helping deliver major new highways, and owner-operator plasterers contributing to housing. These are your wantoks, making our country better.

Prime Minister Marape,

The honour of being invited to address this House has caused me to consider “what is New Zealand to Papua New Guinea?”. Of course, we are long-standing friends. That is a given. But I want to reflect on New Zealand’s past, present, and future contributions to Papua New Guinea. 

I have heard you share your thoughts on this, Prime Minister. I know you find value in New Zealand’s experience in the public sector, on state owned enterprises, on private sector development, and in trade agriculture. 

I believe there are also experiences relevant to your many tribes, in indigenous business and the success of iwi development models in New Zealand. 

There are many examples of our partnership supporting Papua New Guinea’s development. Ranging from New Zealand’s support to develop your Fresh Produce Development Agency in the 1980s, through to our work together to improve the ease of doing business, critical for unlocking economic growth potential.

Our work as part of the Papua New Guinea electrification partnership has connected over 10,000 households to the electricity grid. And, since independence, our scholarships programme has provided over 600 tertiary scholarships, plus numerous short-term training and capacity-building opportunities. But there is more we can do, working together as partners, to contribute to Papua New Guinea’s development aspirations. 

I spoke last night of the strength of our defence and security cooperation – with many of your officers having learned the art of leadership in the legendary freezing temperatures of Waiouru Military Camp. We have a shared ambition to do more in this space.  

We remain honoured to have played a facilitative role in helping Bougainvilleans find an initial truce among themselves and then, with Papua New Guinea. And we continue to walk alongside both Governments as you jointly seek a mutually-agreed way forward – including through our recent hosting of consultations at Burnham Military Camp. 

And on the shared global challenge of climate change, we are together raising our voices in world forums, where the urgency of the Pacific’s experience must drive action.

Prime Minister,

While there are differences between our countries, there are many parallels, as well as similarities, in geography, culture and scale. Perhaps it is in fact, the exchange of ideas and ways of doing things between two friends that should be the most important item on our shared future agenda? 

I look forward to discussing the opportunities to strengthen this further when we meet later today.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members,

As Pacific countries, both New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have a vested interest in ensuring the security and prosperity of our region.

Prime Minister Kirk was an active proponent for Papua New Guinea’s membership of the then-South Pacific Forum in the early 1970s, with Sir Michael Somare present at the creation.  In fact, I wouldn’t mind betting that the Grand Chief then went on to become the Leader who attended the most Forum Leaders’ meetings of any of us. 

Today, Papua New Guinea plays a critical leadership role in our regional architecture. I know that you, Prime Minister, are especially interested in what more we can do together in this space. 

My view is that at a time of sharpening geostrategic tensions, where others’ actions and priorities may seed division among our Pacific family, it is more important than ever that we work together with fellow Pacific Islands Forum Members

When talking about our two countries’ relationship with the Pacific, however, it would be remiss of me, of course, not to mention Australia – an indispensable partner to both our nations, and who, as a fellow Pacific country, engages at significant scale here and throughout the region, in support of Pacific priorities.

There is more that the three of us can do together, and in concert with other Pacific countries, to ensure our continued peace and prosperity, and to deliver on our collective ambitions under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Honourable Members,

As we celebrate Papua New Guinea’s 50th Anniversary, and the fifty years of partnership between our two countries, I want to close by reflecting on the prospects for our future engagement. 

I am heartened by this trusted friendship we have built – but am also ambitious for our relationship. 

I am convinced the best is yet to come – both for Papua New Guinea and for our partnership.

Our political engagement is strong. We should continue to expand our partnership at the Ministerial level, and to better link our institutions. 

Your success in holding an unbroken record of democracy since independence, and keeping your peace and stability matters greatly to us and to the region. But there is more we can do together to support this.

Our trade has been growing, but there’s scope for us to do much more. In both directions. Including by fully integrating Papua New Guinea into our regional trading arrangements.

We can do more to leverage the connections between our peoples. We are making it easier for Papua New Guineans to visit New Zealand. I certainly hope more New Zealanders will visit the natural and cultural wonders of Papua New Guinea – and experience everything that you have to offer. Separately, labour mobility is already an area of growth, but one where we should not rest on our laurels. 

We can do more to grow our sporting ties – whether it is League, Union, Soccer, Cricket, or Netball – as well as our shared cultural connections. 

And we should give further thought to how we can work more closely together on regional and global issues. At a time of turbulence, it is up to us to create and defend the region that we want, and to influence the world we want to live in.   

Mr Speaker

Even in 1975, Prime Minister Rowling spoke of Papua New Guinea as “a land with which New Zealand has forged close and lasting ties.” Fifty years ago, we were already close.

I hope that in 50 years time, when my successor comes for your centennial celebrations, he or she will be able to look back on a partnership that has continued to go ‘beyond a handshake’, and has seen us continue to invest in each other’s success.  

Ultimately, the strength of our partnership lies not only in governments – it lies in people. It is strengthened as friendships are forged and as challenges are identified and faced down together. 

New Zealand is committed to wok wantaim and will make good on our shared belief, that by working together New Zealand and Papua New Guinea can create a bright and bold future for ourselves and be an example to the world.

Tenk yu tumas olgeta, lukim yu bihain.  

No reira; tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

MIL OSI

His Excellency Sugiono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, convened the 12th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) on 13th June 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. 
The Ministers welcomed meeting in person, underscoring the importance of regular consultations between themselves, Leaders and other Cabinet colleagues to strengthen the relationship in ways that deliver real benefits and advance shared values.
The Ministers celebrated the cooperation between Indonesia and New Zealand under the Comprehensive Partnership agreed by Leaders in 2018, and the achievements under the 2025-2029 Plan of Action. 
The Ministers committed to intensify cooperation across the seven pillars of the Comprehensive Partnership to strengthen bilateral ties and achieve the ambitious goals set out in the 2025-2029 Plan of Action.
 
Reviewing the implementation of the first year of the Plan of Action 2025-2029, and way forward 

“Friends for Good” Ties

The Ministers acknowledged intensive recent engagement between the two countries, including Minister Peters’ attendance at President Prabowo’s inauguration in October 2024, and meetings between our Prime Minister and President, and Foreign Ministers at APEC in November 2024, as well as increased engagements by senior officials. 
Both Ministers agreed to further increase two-way dialogue and acknowledged the importance of face-to-face engagement, and regular hosting of key relationship architecture meetings, in maintaining our “Friends for Good” ties.
The Ministers agreed to encourage relevant stakeholders to bolster bilateral relations and cooperation, including through bilateral defence talks and the annual Senior Officials Meeting on Trade and Investment Framework.
Both Ministers also noted the significant potential for promoting Parliamentary and civil society exchanges to further strengthen bilateral and people-to-people ties.
Enhancing Trade and Economic Partnerships to Advance Growth of Both Economies
The Ministers highlighted the importance of enhancing mutual prosperity and strengthening trade and economic connections. Ministers recalled the goal in the Plan of Action to grow two-way trade to NZ$6 billion by the end of 2029.  They highlighted the need for New Zealand and Indonesia to increase mutual cooperation in the face of global economic uncertainty.
Both Ministers highlighted the importance of resolving non-tariff trade barriers to ensure trade continuity and growth. Ministers welcomed agreement of the Cooperation Arrangement on Halal Standards.  The Arrangement will facilitate the convenience, security, safety and certainty of halal food traded between our countries. Ministers noted the intent for New Zealand and Indonesia to work together to further support the Indonesian national program of food resilience and the Nutritious Meal programme.

The Ministers noted the positive trend of New Zealand’s investment in Indonesia, and agreed to continue efforts to encourage investment flows.
Ministers welcomed the year-round direct flights between Auckland and Bali and committed to continue to work towards unlocking the full potential of enhanced air connectivity to facilitate increased people-to-people, business and trade flows.
Both Ministers reconfirmed the importance of a rules-based, free and open trade environment, with the World Trade Organisation at its core, as critical for the regional and global economy. The Ministers welcomed the implementation of the upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), which entered into force in April 2025, and ongoing cooperation under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The Ministers acknowledged the process of Indonesia’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as an important step to foster economic integration, accelerate economic reform, and support mutual prosperity. 
Both Ministers reaffirmed their nations’ commitment to preventing illegal money laundering and other illegal financing activities to enhance financial integrity and transparency and to further promote economic growth and development.
 
Renewable Energy and Environment Cooperation 
The Ministers highlighted the importance of renewable energy, including geothermal cooperation, which has been a significant part of the relationship since the 1970s and welcomed the renewed Partnership Arrangement in renewable energy and energy conservation signed in September 2024. 
Ministers announced a further NZ$15 million investment in Phase 2 of the New Zealand-Maluku Access to Renewable Energy Support (NZMATES 2.0) programme to continue to improve access to reliable, renewable electricity for remote and small islands while building local industry service capacity.
The Ministers acknowledged strong collaboration between the Indonesia and New Zealand geothermal industries, including under the Pūngao Ngawha (Panas Bumi) Indonesia-New Zealand Partnership Programme (PINZ), that provides access to New Zealand’s world-renowned technical and training capabilities, with the aim of assisting Indonesia to further accelerate the development of its geothermal energy sector and broader energy transition.
The Ministers emphasised their shared commitment to adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change under the Paris Agreement and expressed willingness to expand climate related and environmental cooperation through comprehensive climate change dialogue that includes both mitigation and adaptation strategies.
 

Education, Tourism, Science, Technology and Innovation, and People-to-People Cooperation

Ministers welcomed the significant increase in the annual allocation of tertiary scholarships under the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme (MNZSP), from 45 to 70, for Indonesia for this year and the next two years, reflecting their mutual dedication to deepening people-to-people connections, strengthening capacity in renewable energy and public governance, and developing disadvantaged regions. 
The Ministers welcomed the Arrangement on Education Cooperation to refresh areas of cooperation, including increased education and higher education policy dialogues to enhance education system development and resilience.
The Ministers underscored the importance of enhancing people-to-people connections, particularly in education and tourism, as a bedrock of strong bilateral ties. Both Ministers welcomed the exchange of cultural missions and promotions to serve this purpose.
Ministers welcomed further exchanges of officials’ level visits to New Zealand focused on good governance, public sector performance and integrity and other sectors to advance bilateral relations.
The Ministers encouraged closer cooperation between Indonesia and New Zealand in supporting research collaboration as highlighted in the Arrangement on Education Cooperation.
 
Development Cooperation 
Both Ministers welcomed the past year’s implementation progress under the Statement of Partnership (SoP) 2025-2029 signed in July 2024 and reviewed in May 2025. The SoP has strengthened and elevated both the development relationship and mutual commitment to focus on development cooperation and other strategic issues and is strongly aligned with Indonesia’s national priorities in two areas: climate and economic resilience; and inclusive human development.
 
Defence, Security, Cyber and Maritime Cooperation

Ministers acknowledged New Zealand and Indonesia’s long-standing defence relationship and committed to continuing to strengthen these ties, including through regular Defence Ministers’ meetings. They welcomed the upcoming visit to Jakarta by New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Te Kaha and the recent visit by the Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy.
The Ministers announced new funding towards ongoing cooperation on security issues through continued support for the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC). The funding provided by New Zealand will enable the continued delivery of high-quality capacity building initiatives and collaboration between law enforcement agencies to combat transnational organised crime in the region. 
The Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to the Bali Process and welcomed progress against the Adelaide Strategy for Cooperation, which sets out the priority areas of cooperation for the Bali Process Working Groups. This includes an upcoming Joint Tabletop Exercise co-hosted by New Zealand, Indonesia, Australia and Viet Nam, through the Working Group on Disruption of Criminal Networks Involved in People Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons from 23 to 26 June 2025. 
The Ministers agreed to continue to implement the refreshed cooperation arrangement on counter-terrorism, and identify opportunities for dialogue on preventing violent extremism. 
Ministers highlighted the importance of active participation by our militaries in training activities, annual defence talks and joint exercises, including Exercise Super Garuda Shield.
 

Regional and Multilateral Agenda

The Ministers emphasised ASEAN’s central role in the dynamic regional architecture and their shared commitment to ongoing dialogue and cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms and processes, particularly the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus).
The Ministers welcomed the ASEAN-New Zealand Joint Statement on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific in 2023 to maintain regional stability and to serve as a framework to strengthen bilateral relations to advance economic relations and maritime governance under international law.
The Ministers welcomed the implementation of the ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action (POA) (2021-2025) and its substantial progress achieved across the four themes outlined in the POA – Peace, Prosperity, People, and Planet. They further welcomed activity throughout 2025 to commemorate 50 years of dialogue relations between New Zealand and ASEAN, including preparations under way for a Commemorative Summit in Malaysia in October. Minister Sugiono confirmed Indonesia’s support for New Zealand’s proposal to elevate the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and noted the development of a new ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action (2026-2030) to guide future cooperation. 
Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to maintaining and promoting security and stability in the South China Sea. Ministers underscored their strong support for freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded trade, and their unwavering support for the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Ministers emphasised the need for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS. In this regard, Ministers recalled the 2016 ruling of the South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal, constituted under UNCLOS. They underscored the importance of further progress towards an effective and substantive Code of Conduct that is consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.
Ministers expressed concern about the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.  Ministers called on stakeholders and parties in Myanmar, in particular the armed forces and security forces concerned, to immediately cease violence, including the targeting of civilians, and to engage in inclusive dialogue. Ministers emphasised the importance of a peaceful, stable and unified Myanmar, affirmed their strong support for ASEAN-led efforts in line with the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus and encouraged the international community to work together in a pragmatic and constructive way to support peace and stability in Myanmar.
The Ministers expressed concern about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and reiterated their calls for all parties to cease all hostilities; release all remaining hostages; facilitate the rapid, safe, unimpeded, and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid; adhere to international humanitarian law; and protect aid workers to enable their lifesaving work. Ministers reaffirmed their support for the implementation of a two-state solution consistent with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
Ministers exchanged views on the war against Ukraine and reiterated support for efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.  In that context, Ministers continued to reaffirm their respect for sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity, and reiterated their call for compliance with the United Nations Charter and international law.
The Ministers acknowledged the challenges to the multilateral system from shifting geopolitical dynamics, a tightly constrained financial environment and increasingly complex global risks. They reaffirmed their strong support for multilateralism and the international rules-based system, and acknowledged its important role in underpinning global stability, resilience and prosperity. The Ministers committed to collaborating on efforts to strengthen the multilateral system, increase inclusivity and transparency, and to safeguard and advance human rights, in order to support a system that is more responsive to today’s challenges. 

Conclusion

Ministers reviewed the implementation of the Plan of Action for 2025-2029 and discussed their common interest in advancing bilateral cooperation and delivering tangible outcomes.
Both Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to utilise and advance the implementation of existing cooperation frameworks to deliver our shared interests. 
Both Ministers were ready to explore more cooperation in the future to support both nations’ interests, as confirmation of their strong stance as Friends for Good.
Minister Peters expressed his sincere gratitude to Minister Sugiono and the Indonesian Government for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to him during the visit, and looked forward to hosting Minister Sugiono at the 13th JMC in New Zealand in 2026.

MIL OSI

 Our Board:

sets our strategic direction, makes decisions about funding allocations and provides guidance on our operations
monitors the performance of the Chief Executive and the organisation
oversees management of strategic risk.

Dr Alan Bollard CNZM, Chair

Alan Bollard is Chair of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery. He is New Zealand Governor of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, a Director of China Construction Bank (NZ), and Chair of the New Zealand Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.
He has been Chair of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Professor of Pacific Region Business at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, and Chair of the Centres for Asia-Pacific Excellence.
Alan was the Director of the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research from 1987 to 1994, Chair of the New Zealand Commerce Commission from 1994 to 1998, and the Secretary to the Treasury between 1998 and 2020. From 2002 to 2012, he was the Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. He was the Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Singapore from 2012 to 2018.
Alan has published a number of economics and popular books. He is a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, a Fellow of Royal Society Te Apārangi, and has honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Auckland and Massey University.
Robin Hapi CNZM, Deputy Chair

Robin Hapi was a former Commissioner of the Tertiary Education Commission from 2007 to 2013 and joins TEC for a second time from February 2025. This follows a term of 12 years as Amokapua/Chair of Te Wānanga o Raukawa. He has served on several Boards and led a range of commercial and not-for-profit entities.
Robin is currently Chair of Tū Ātea Ltd and Co-Chair of the Pūhoro STEMM Academy. His previous service includes positions on the Boards of Te Mātāwai, Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities, WorkSafe NZ and the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency; he has also been Chair of the Māori Economic Development Advisory Board, Chair of BERL and Deputy Chair of Callaghan Innovation. 
Robin is an old boy of Hato Pāora College and an alumni of Massey University, where he graduated with a Master of Business Administration with Distinction. In December 2015 Robin was awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in recognition of his contribution to governance, community and Māori, and in 2022 he received the Dame Mira Szászy Lifetime award from the University of Auckland Business School for his contribution to governance. Robin is also a Distinguished Fellow of the NZ Institute of Directors.
Robin is of Ngāti Kahungunu descent and affiliates to Kahurānaki Marae, Te Hauke.
Dr Alastair MacCormick, Commissioner, Chair Whatitata Whakau – Risk and Assurance Committee

TEC’s longest serving Commissioner, Alastair was first appointed to the TEC Board of Commissioners in May 2017, and appointed as Chair of the Whatitata Whakau – Risk and Assurance Committee in August 2017.
Alastair is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Auckland. He holds a Doctorate in Management Science from Yale University and an MCom in Economics and a BSc in Mathematics and Physics from Auckland. For a decade he was Dean of Business and Economics at the University of Auckland and subsequently Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).
Alastair also served over nine years on the Grants Committee of Callaghan Innovation for the Government support of Private Sector R&D and is a professional director with global experience in both public, private and listed companies.
Alastair’s generosity with his time and expertise is demonstrated in his role as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital (a voluntary role which Alastair has supported for almost 40 years) along with founding the New Zealand Education and Scholarship Trust in 1991. He has also spent 14 years on the Board of Trustees for Auckland Grammar School, serving as Chair of the Board for six years.
Alastair was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in The Queen’s Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours for services to tertiary education and the community.
Kirk Hope, Commissioner

“People are our greatest asset and the drivers of our economy.  Business needs a training and development system to ensure everyone can reach their potential and New Zealand continues to prosper”. 

Appointed in November 2019, Kirk brings strong current business sector knowledge to the TEC Board table. Kirk is the Chief Executive of the Financial Services Council. Previously, he was the Chief Executive of BusinessNZ, New Zealand’s largest business advocacy group with approximately 80,000 business connections.
It is not just his knowledge and understanding of business that Kirk brings to TEC. He has held the positions of CEO of the New Zealand Bankers’ Association, Executive Director of the Financial Services Federation, along with several executive positions in both government and banking industries.
The pairing of business acumen with a strong financial base, a Master’s in Law, an honours degree in political science, easily makes Kirk a great fit for TEC.
Kirk’s passion is giving back, so sometime in the future we could see him sharing his wealth of knowledge and business expertise through teaching – perhaps that will be after he finishes PhD in economic history (a long term goal) or when he isn’t surfing.
Samuelu (Sam) Sefuiva, Commissioner, Chair Ohu Tangata – People and Culture Committee

Sam has over 30 years’ experience in public policy, strategic and business advice, cultural and economic development and executive leadership. He has a strong professional and personal interest in the Pacific region particularly in human rights, social enterprise and public policy. Sam joined the TEC Board in January 2023.
Sam has mentored, led and facilitated senior executives in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific in improving international, regional and domestic non-government and community enterprise environments. His strengths are in high level policy advice and relations, strategic thinking, business planning and facilitation.
Currently his leadership roles include: Mana Whakapai-AMPTI (consortium) Manager, Auckland Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Initiative; Trustee, Digital Wings Trust; and Trustee Black Grace (Dance) Trust. Previously, Sam was Chief Advisor to the Race Relations Commissioner at the NZ Human Rights Commission.
Sam enjoys spending time with his family and including grandchildren, his wider Samoan fanau and village (Salani, Falealili), as well as some passive recreational activities such as reading, surfing, fishing.
Deidre Shea, Commissioner

“Accessible, quality educational opportunities for all New Zealanders throughout their lives are key to the health and success of our communities and our nation. I am privileged to be able to contribute to this as a member of TEC’s board.”

Commissioned in 2023, Deidre received her Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday honours for services to Education.
Deidre held leadership roles with Ōnehunga High School (OHS) from 1995 and was Principal from 2007 until 2022. Her leadership extended to the Auckland Secondary School Principals’ Association from 2008 to 2015 and the Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SPANZ) 2014 to 2023. She became President of SPANZ from 2019 to 2021, leading through numerous challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deidre is committed to excellent, lifelong educational opportunities for all. She has overseen the establishment of a Construction School at OHS in 2005, followed by a Services Academy in 2007 and later a Health Science Academy. OHS operates the nation’s largest school-based Adult and Community Education programme.
Deidre has chaired Te Hikoi (formerly the AIMHI Alternative Education consortium) for the past decade. 
Bharat Guha, Commissioner

Bharat Guha is the current Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Invercargill Licensing Trust. He is a chartered accountant with extensive experience in the education and hospitality sector.
Bharat has held numerous senior positions as CEO, Deputy CEO and CFO in different New Zealand and overseas organisations. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Bharat was based in London, working as the Group CFO for an LSE-listed company with branches in the UK, Malaysia, Singapore and Nepal.
Bharat was recognised as a Fellow of the Australia New Zealand Chartered Accountants for his financial work on the Zero Fee Scheme for the Southern Institute of Technology. In addition, he has developed and led successful government–private tertiary institution partnerships for attracting international students to New Zealand.
Bharat is a graduate of the University of Otago, undertaking a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Information Systems) and a Master in Business Administration. He also completed the Executive Leadership Programme at Oxford University and the Southland Leadership Academy.
Bharat is committed and passionate about ensuring the future growth of tertiary education in New Zealand.
Sharon McGuire, Commissioner

Sharon McGuire has a strong commercial background and knowledge of the polytechnic and broader tertiary sector. She also has governance experience with several entities. Her tertiary experience includes being a director for regional economic development with the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.
Sharon’s commercial experience includes working as a general manager in the hotels sector, as a director of a major sports franchise, work with Chambers of Commerce, and as a business owner specialising in project services and advising on business viability.
Sharon has held senior executive roles and is an experienced Director in the Not-for-Loss sector. Sharon is a great supporter of community organisations, and was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow for services to Rotary and the wider community.
 Top

MIL OSI

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay travels to Korea today for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers meeting where he will meet with APEC and CPTPP trading partners including a first in person meeting with United Stated Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

“These meetings are an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand exporters, discuss our strong and mutually beneficial trade relationships, and restate New Zealand’s opposition to high tariff regimes,” Mr McClay says.

While in Jeju, Minister McClay will meet with Ministers from: Australia, China, Chile, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Peru, Singapore and the United States where he will talk about the need for certainty for consumers and exporters.  

APEC’s 21 economies receive over 75 per cent of New Zealand’s exports and represent nearly 60 per cent of global GDP. 

“Open and fair market access remains a priority for our Government as we look to double the value of exports in 10 years and grow the economy,” Mr McClay says. 

“This meeting is an opportunity to deepen our connections with these major economic partners and support New Zealand exporters.”

MIL OSI

POST-CABINET PRESS CONFERENCE: Monday, 5 May 2025

EPIQ TRANSCRIPT

PM:           Well, look, good afternoon, everyone. It’s great to be joined this afternoon by our awesome Trade Minister, Todd McClay, who’s doing some incredible work. As you know, it’s a big sitting block with the Budget at the end of it, and that Budget will then be there to underline this Government’s clear focus on economic growth and, as you know, growth is the primary focus of us and our Government and will continue to be at the core of everything we do. We know that these are challenging times and not easy. New Zealand is still recovering from the economic damage inflicted by Labour and further global instability has made things tough for Kiwis. But despite these challenges, we are overseeing a steady economic recovery with export-led growth and business confidence increasing, and we have started to turn the corner. 

So this will be a growth Budget because economic growth means Kiwis have money in their pockets and we can fund better public services, and this will also be a responsible Budget, a predictable, steady approach to economic and fiscal management so that we can support economic growth. It is ultimately businesses that grow the economy through their decisions to expand, invest and create jobs, and the Government’s role is to create the conditions for them to do that, and this includes getting the basics right, such as low and stable inflation, manageable interest rates and credible fiscal management. 

Promoting global growth and trade and investment is one of the five pillars to our Going for Growth plan, and it’s absolutely essential for New Zealand to maximise its potential and New Zealanders to enjoy higher incomes and better public services. As we so often say, we can’t get rich selling to ourselves, so the Government has a clear target to double the value of New Zealand’s exports in 10 years by 2034. And in 2023, to give you a feel for it, one in four of our jobs in New Zealand—around 680,000 New Zealanders—derive their livelihoods from producing goods and services for export. And in addition to bringing in additional revenue, businesses that export also boost New Zealand’s productivity by having more exposure to more diverse competition, connecting to new markets and consumers, and also investing in research and development and innovation. 

I cannot overstate how important trade and investment is to this country, and that is why both Todd as Trade Minister and myself as Prime Minister are throwing our all into doing business with the world. My recent trip to the UK is actually a prime example. It was incredibly productive and the UK relationship, I think, has new vigour. We’ve always had very strong historical ties with a similar set of values and outlook on the world, but as Prime Minister Starmer and I noted, we now have new things to propel the relationship going forward in the years ahead, in the areas of defence and security, of course, but excitingly in our bilateral trade and investment too. Our free trade agreement with the UK provides New Zealand businesses with certainty of access to this high-value market and we have enjoyed export growth of more than 20 percent in the last 12 months. 

But it’s not just the UK. The EU FTA, which we implemented earlier, has just reached its first anniversary and is already showing dividends since it was put into place, having generated an additional $1.2 billion and having grown exports up 28 percent. We’re opening up new markets as well, as you know, with our signed agreements in the UAE and the GCC recently, thanks to Todd’s relentless focus on closing those deals for the betterment of our exporters, and the launch of negotiations on an Indian FTA are an important step forward too. 

So trade and growth will be critical to improving our economic prospects in the coming years and so our businesses can create those jobs and lift incomes for Kiwis. I’ll now pass over to Todd to talk a little bit more about our trade agenda and prospects ahead. 

Hon Todd McClay:    Well, thank you, Prime Minister and good afternoon, everybody. It’s been a busy and important period of time for New Zealand trade and today I want to give an update on three key areas where we’re seeing growth and development: our trade growth with the EU one year after early entry into force of the free trade agreement, the first in-person free trade agreement negotiations with India, and our growing trade ties with the Gulf region. 

Last week marked one year since the early entry into force of the New Zealand‒European Union free trade agreement, and the results speak for themselves. As the Prime Minister said, just in 12 months, total goods exports to the European Union from New Zealand surged by 28 percent, from $3.77 billion to $4.81 billion, and this is delivering real benefit for New Zealand exporters, particularly sheep meat exports, which grew 29 percent, worth an additional $216 million. Kiwifruit exports increased by 69 percent, worth an additional $316 million, and machinery exports were by 104 percent, which are worth an additional $173 million. 

Importantly, the agreement delivers better market access, lower costs, and reduced barriers for New Zealand businesses. It’s also a strong example of our broader trade strategy, working to open up high-quality and high-value markets to double the value of exports in 10 years. We worked across the House last year to see the agreement entry into force many months earlier than had been forecast, and as an example, that meant that kiwifruit growers could take advantage of a full harvest season, adding an additional $18,000 on average for every kiwifruit grower in New Zealand. 

I’m pleased to also confirm that the first in-person FTA negotiations between New Zealand and India will begin this week in India. This follows the Deputy Prime Minister’s successful visit to India last year, and the formal launch of negotiations by my counterpart, Minister Piyush Goyal, and myself during the Prime Minister’s very large and successful trade mission in April. India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, with a current GDP of US$4.3 trillion, expected or forecast to grow to US$5.2 trillion by 2030. With a population of 1.4 billion people and current two-way trade of NZ$3.14 billion, there’s huge untapped potential for New Zealand exporters. These negotiations in person mark an important milestone and signal the intent of both governments to pursue a high-quality, comprehensive agreement that benefits both countries. The comprehensive FTA with India is also part of our strategy to diversify trade, expand export markets and deliver for all New Zealanders, and we’re focused on backing our exporters and attracting investment and growing the economy. 

Finally, in the Middle East, following the conclusion of the GCC trade deal at the end of last year, momentum around trade and investment opportunities in that part of the world is growing. Last week I hosted Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Minister Al-Fadley, for the 9th New Zealand‒Saudi Arabian Joint Ministerial Commission in Auckland. This is an opportunity to showcase what New Zealand has to offer from food security, agritech, clean technology and education. The Saudi Arabian delegation included 37 officials and business leaders, and a strong signal of the interest in what New Zealand brings to the table. We’re preparing to sign the New Zealand‒GCC free trade agreement, which will deliver duty-free access for 99 percent of our exports to that market over time. And Saudi Arabia is already our largest trading partner in the Gulf and this agreement will help us grow exports in agriculture, food innovation, fintech, and much more. 

So, to recap, the EU deal is delivering 12 months into the agreement, India in-person negotiations are beginning, and the Middle East holds great potential for New Zealand exporters. We’re working across the Government hard for Kiwis, securing deals and backing New Zealand exporters to succeed on the world stage.

PM:           Well, thank you, Todd, and can I just say also thank you for the work that you’re doing because I know you’re on the plane a lot and, as I say, you are Trade McClay and we really appreciate what you’re doing. With that, happy to take any questions you may have. 

Media:      Sticking on trade for a minute, have you seen Donald Trump’s latest social media post relating to the film industry and are you concerned about the impact it could have on New Zealand’s film industry? 

PM:           I have seen it. Obviously, we need to see what the detail is, but what I’d just say to you is, having been at Weta Unleashed recently with Sir Richard Taylor, we’ve got an absolutely world-class industry. This is the best place to make movies in, period, in the world. That’s why I spent a lot of time with Bollywood actors and directors, actually, when I was in India, making the case for making more movies here, and we’ll continue to do so. So we’ll have to see the detail of what actually ultimately emerges, but obviously I’m a great advocate, great champion of that sector and that industry, and I think, you know, we want to keep making, you know, strong moves on it. 

Media:      Does the threat of a 100 percent tariff on imported movies make you reconsider the film subsidies that the Government offers at all? 

PM:           Look, again, you know, we’ve seen a post on social media. We need to understand what any details are. 

Media:      [Inaudible] quite a lot of them.

PM:           Yeah, yeah, sure. We’ll have to see what the details are. I’m just saying to you it’s a fantastic industry. It’s got amazing people. It’s got incredible technology associated with it, great jobs, and we’re going to continue to advocate very strongly for the sector. 

Media:      What about the language that he’s using, that it’s a national security threat, it’s propaganda, all the movies coming—

PM:           Well, I don’t comment on every utterance of the US President. I’m focused on New Zealand and maximising the opportunities for New Zealand. And all I’m saying is that’s what I’ve been doing is, you know, in that sector, which I just think is truly world-class. You know, I’ve been advocating for it in India for that exact same reason. What would it take to get more Bollywood productions here in New Zealand, and other places as well? 

Media:      How damaging would that be to your goal of economic growth? I think US productions account for about $1.5 billion to the New Zealand screen industry every single year. How would that affect our economy if he went through with those tariffs? 

PM:           Well, look, I mean, as we’ve been quite upfront about, you know, it’s a pretty—you know, there’s a lot of volatility in the global economic space and the global economy at the moment. You know, we’ve advocated strongly, you know, that we don’t believe tariffs is the way to go forward. We’ll continue to do that. But importantly, there are also swings and roundabouts and opportunities that come in that environment as well. And so, you know, it’s not possible for me to say what the exact effect of that would be; I just think it’s way too early. Let’s see the detail and see what’s being proposed and what actually does get implemented. 

Media:      Can you rule out any changes to the rebate? 

PM:           Look, again, I’ve just seen the post on the way through, on the way down here. It’s not something that we’ve given a lot of thought to yet. All I’m focused on is making sure we grow that sector and grow that great industry. 

Media:      Have you given any consideration to increasing the rebate to try and incentivise productions to still come to New Zealand? 

PM:           Again, way too soon. We haven’t given any thought to it. We’ve just seen a post from the US President. As I said, I don’t get into the habit of commenting on everything the President says. I’m focused on New Zealand growing all sectors with as many countries as I can, expanding trade and investment, as you’ve seen us do over the last 18 months, and we’ll continue to do so. 

Media:      Just on that pivot to Bollywood that you were talking about, what sort of reaction did you get over in India when you were talking about potentially New Zealand being a bit more of a hub for those sort of movies? 

PM:           Really positive. I mean, they have made movies here in New Zealand in the last 20 years or so, and my question to them was: what else would it take for you to do more productions here in New Zealand? And they’re very, very open to it. I mean, there’s a—

Media:      What did they say to that? What would it take for them to do more? 

PM:           Well, there are—there are things that we can—you know, obviously connectivity between India and New Zealand so that you can actually move kit and people in and out of the country in a much more seamless way, which is why air connectivity and air services become so important into the future as well. But no, they’re very open to it and it’s about us actually, often, in many cases, just making the case to the influencers and to the people. And that’s why I do these meetings is because, you know, they’ve got every other country in the world telling them why they’re a great place to come and do it. 

You know, they know they get well supported here. They have really talented people to be able to work with in the productions here. Many New Zealanders in that sector are very much generalists—they are able to do many things, not just have the specialists—and therefore you often end up with smaller but much more efficient crews working on those productions. So, you know, I think there’s just a lot of opportunity for New Zealand. It is an amazing sector, as you all know, and a very important sector here for this city as well. 

Media:      Prime Minister, is it appropriate for a Minister to frequently use their private e-mail accounts for ministerial business, including discussing policy ideas with members of the public? 

PM:           Well, look, there’ll be times under the Cabinet Manual where, you know, people—Ministers will use personal e-mail or personal phone numbers, and that may be for a number of reasons. They may have received unsolicited emails. In many cases, I’m aware Ministers in the past have had technical issues around IT and printing materials. But what’s super important is that any materials are fully retained so that under an official information request, they’re actually available. 

Media:      Are you comfortable with how often Erica Stanford is using her personal e-mail to conduct ministerial business? 

PM:           Well, again, my office has spoken with her. I understand it’s been very few occasions. What I’d say is that she has had tech issues with printing. That’s a good example. I’m aware Ministers in the previous Government had the same—used personal emails in the same way. I’m very relaxed with the fact—

Media:      One News has two folders with hundreds of pages that includes documents and emails that she has been sending and receiving from her private e-mail. Does that sound like very limited instances? 

PM:           Well, again, as I said, I’m very relaxed about it. The reality is, you know, she has—you know, she’s received unsolicited emails, she’s had printing issues, she’s had tech issues. She’s made changes subsequently, she’s got the IT support that she needs in place and I’m very comfortable with it. I think she’s doing a great job. 

Media:      She also sent sensitive Budget documents, ahead of them being announced publicly, to her Gmail account. Is that appropriate? 

PM:           Well, again, I just say to you there will be moments under the Cabinet Manual where it’s quite acceptable for Ministers to use their personal—

Media:      Is that [Inaudible] Budget documents before they’re released publicly?

PM:            Well, there may well be if it’s printing purposes, if it’s—if there’s—because there’s technical reasons. As I understand it, in her case it’s actually been about printing challenges. She’s actually made the changes in the settings that she needed to, which has been good and really advisable, and I think that’s a really good thing. But I’m very relaxed about it. 

Media:      Do you trust Gmail as a secure platform when people, Ministers, are sending Budget details? 

PM:           Well, I’ll just say to you I think, you know, there are moments when you may well use your personal accounts for—in order for printing and for receiving unsolicited emails, right? 

Media:      But it’s not as secure, [Inaudible].

Media:      Is there no tech support in the building to sort out a printer problem?

PM:           She’s made—she’s made subsequent changes to her processes of how to do that. She’s got the right IT support in place now. I’m really comfortable about it. 

Media:      She’s a Minister of the Crown. How was there not tech support available for that? This is the Beehive. 

PM:           Sorry? 

Media:      How was there not tech support available for printing? It’s the Beehive. 

PM:           I think if you go back and look at the last administration, Chris Hipkins was an example of a Minister who used his personal accounts for printing materials that he might need as well. So that’s what I’m saying, there’s been a—there’s a history of where, occasionally—

Media:      So you think it’s OK?

PM:           No, on—occasionally, under the Cabinet Manual, it’s quite OK and quite acceptable that there will be moments in time where people might need to use their personal phones and emails in order for things like printing materials or IT tech support. In her case, she’s subsequently gone on and made changes which I think are advisable and are really appropriate that she’s done that, and made sure that she’s put in place some processes and changes around that.

Media:      Every instance was for printing? If it’s hundreds of pages—

PM:           Well, I’m saying that as an example of how you may end up using your personal accounts for those purposes. 

Media:      The main directive of the Cabinet Manual is that Ministers don’t use their personal emails or mobile phone numbers, and Erica Stanford is frequently using her personal e-mail. Have you looked into it? Are you keen to look into that further? Is that appropriate? 

PM:           Look, I’m super relaxed about it. I have to be honest about it. I’ve looked at the issue. Erica’s office has spoken to my office about it. She’s made the changes that she needed to make about the processes of which she engaged with unsolicited emails or—she did have printing issues, you know. That is a common thing that I’ve seen with other Ministers in previous administrations as well. Having said that, it’s advisable what she has done to put in place checks to make sure that she’s managing it better going forward. And at the end of the day, you know, this is a Minister doing a brilliant job and a great job and, you know, I’m proud of the work she did just on this weekend doing the parental portal. 

Media:      Prime Minister, just a couple of questions around Corrections. Do you support Mark Mitchell and his comments around wanting longer sentences as a way of trying to reduce re-offending? 

PM:           Well, I think there’s two things going on there. One is I would say we definitely support longer sentences. That’s why we’ve, you know, had the sentencing discount legislation come through. That’s why we’ve got three strikes coming through and the work of Paul Goldsmith in that area. But once someone is in the Corrections facility it’s important that we do everything we can to get rehabilitation services to them, and all Mark’s doing is actually trying to understand where does the rehabilitation services work, and does term of service actually, you know, play into that or not, and how would we make sure we take the opportunity to actually make sure that we get the right rehabilitation services to the prisoners involved. 

Media:      Have you seen or has Mark Mitchell put forward any evidence that supports that those two things—

PM:           That’s the work that he’s kicked off, to have a look at what are the impacts of rehabilitation and does term of—length of time in the facility actually lead to better rehabilitation outcomes with longer run services or not. So that’s all he’s doing. All he’s doing is just looking at making sure our rehabilitation services—we want them to be deployed as much as possible to remand Corrections facilities, as you’ve seen, prisoners, and also those that have been sentenced. We want to get rehabilitation services out to as much as we can. 

Media:      The end result in there, if you play it out, is potentially a lot more prisoners in prison for a longer amount of time, so how much money are you prepared to throw at more prison beds and more prison expenses? 

PM:           Well, we’re interested in lowering crime. So the point, as you know, is that we’re quite comfortable with longer prison sentences. We have made changes with our legislation recently to do exactly that, on the sentencing discounts that we’ve stopped. But this is about—this is a separate piece of work. 

Media:      It’s a blank cheque around prison beds and prison expansion, for the greater good and all that?

PM:           Well, you don’t—you drive it through a principle and a value, which is that if people have offended, they need to make sure they’ve got a penalty that fits their offence. And the old model of just saying the only target we’ve got on crime is reducing prisoners—we actually want to reduce crime and we’re making some good progress on that. So how many prisoners we have and how long they’re in there will be a consequence of what happens with respect to crime in New Zealand. Sorry, last question for Jo here. 

Media:      RNZ has been talking to staff at Palmerston North Hospital who don’t feel safe at work. There are reports of health workers getting abused and assaulted, including a nurse being held at gunpoint and another health worker knocked unconscious. They’d like hospital security guards to be given the same powers as those in Parliament and court, in order to be able to physically restrain people. Do you support that? 

PM:           Well, look, we have supported an increase of security in emergency departments, as you know. It’s one of the first actions we took when we came to Government, and Dr Shane Reti implemented that. I’m very open to considering what more we can do to make sure our workers are safe. I’m not aware of that particular issue, but feel free to raise that with Simeon Brown. 

Media:      Minister McClay, just on the—

PM:           Jack, welcome back. I saw you on TV covering some electorates over the weekend. Well done. 

Media:      Thank you. We’ll get to that later. But Minister McClay, just on the Trump tariffs, New Zealand had one of the best deals under the previous tariffs. That might not be the case anymore with this 100 percent on film production. What do you say to that, that New Zealand’s sort of getting a raw deal now as the tariff situation progresses? 

Hon Todd McClay:    Well, New Zealand’s not being treated worse than other countries, as we see it at the moment. It seems that the new bottom tariff rate out of the US will be 10 percent. There’s no evidence yet—although we’ll see whether or not they, through negotiation, will fall below that. There’s some early anecdotal evidence from our exporters that they are seeing increased interest from the US in products from New Zealand. Some of that could be because, you know, tariff rates elsewhere in the world have been fluctuated so US importers haven’t got the certainty that they need. But I think, as the Prime Minister has said, in everything we do, we’ve got to get as much information as we can. So, for instance, the announcement over films that you have just asked about, we’re not yet sure exactly how it will be put in place—whether it’s complete films, parts of films, just technology to add to films and so on. So once we get more information following the social media posts, we’ll be in a better position to provide that. 

Media:      When the US first announced tariffs, they got the figure wrong on the reciprocal number. Have you had strengthened communication with the United States? I know you’ve been doing deals around the world, but have you been focusing on the US? 

Hon Todd McClay:    So we’ve had a lot of engagement. I expect to meet my counterpart, Jamieson Greer, in about two weeks’ time at the APEC Trade Ministers’ meeting in Korea. it will be my first opportunity to meet in person, although we have had a long Zoom call with each other. In effect, the way it has been clarified is it wasn’t the tariff rate they were speaking of, they’d just taken the imbalance in trade and applied that to the equivalent of a tariff. Irrespective of that, the lowest tariff rate put on any country was 10 percent, which is where we are. I actually think Australia had a better trade deal than we did because we haven’t got a trade deal, and they faced 10 percent as well. 

Media:      Just on [Inaudible], Prime Minister, sorry, Anthony Albanese was asked at a press conference today about the world leaders that had congratulated him. He unfortunately left New Zealand off the list initially. In that conversation, were you not speaking slowly enough and simply enough for the Prime Minister to understand?

PM:           Can I just tell you, in that conversation I reckon he was still in his pyjamas, as I said to him, and I reckon he had a very hoarse voice so it was very early in the morning of the night after, the day after. But, look, he’s a good friend. I mean, obviously you know he and I knew each other before I came to politics as well and we’ve got a good personal relationship and chemistry, and we talked about, you know, a little bit about the election and then into how we can continue to do the good work of Australia and New Zealand out there on the world stage together. 

Media:      On Lake Alice, there’s court action at the moment saying that the redress system is breaching international law and also that $150,000 isn’t enough. Have you got a response to those survivors? 

PM:           Look, what I’ll just say to you, I acknowledge Mr Richards’ decision to seek a judicial review. I’m in a position where it’s inappropriate for me to comment on those individual circumstances or cases. 

Media:      [Inaudible] haven’t signed on to the redress system so far? 

PM:           We are working through improving the redress system, as you know, and we’ll have—Erica Stanford will have something to say about that very soon. 

Media:      Just for a colleague, on the international investigation last week revealing how Chinese authorities targeted families of Chinese dissidents and Uyghur advocates in New Zealand after they spoke out, were you briefed on that situation and do you have any concerns following that? 

PM:           It’s not something that I’ve been specifically briefed on at this point, but I’ll follow up after this. 

Media:      Sorry, just going back to those Budget documents that were sent to a Gmail, are you comfortable that it was only that one case? Are there any other ones that you are concerned about? 

PM:           Look, all I’m just saying to you is that the Cabinet Manual says there—you know, we want Ministers to be able to use their work devices and obviously e-mail and phones, but there will be on occasion reasons for why they need to use their personal ones. As I said, in the past it’s been because of printing issues. In Erica’s position that’s largely been, as I understand, what it’s been about. There’s also unsolicited emails that we get through personal e-mail accounts, and that’s—she’s put in place now processes to make sure that actually that’s all handled properly and everything’s directed through her account. 

Media:      [Inaudible] sensitive Budget documents. Are you comfortable with that being sent to Gmail?

PM:           Yeah, look, I’m really comfortable with where—what—the changes that Erica’s made. Completely advisable. But I’m just saying to you, you know, I’m very relaxed about it, yeah.

Media:      On the CPTPP and EU kind of idea, what’s the latest on that? Have you had any further talks with leaders and how much of this is firming up into a real plan, versus sort of at a blue sky thinking stage? 

PM:           Well, look, I mean, I’ve spoken to many different leaders. I spoke to Mark Carney again yesterday as well, and I spoke to Lawrence Wong, obviously around their elections, but on this issue in general. All we’re—all I was saying there was that, you know, in a world where what we’ve got—you know, you think about the US trade bloc. It’s about 13 percent of global trade, from memory. You know, you’ve got the CPTPP and you’ve got EU, probably 30 percent plus of global trade. You know, what we want to make sure is that we have people reaffirm the trading rules so that when there are disputes between countries, we want to make sure that they are following and compliant with those rules, you know. We don’t need tit-for-tat tariffs between different trading blocs, for example, emerging. 

So that’s the nature of the conversation that we’ve been having with leaders. And, you know, I think—you know, and whether it’s been ASEAN leaders or whether it’s been CPTPP leaders or EU leaders, it’s just been making sure that we all understand that we want to maintain the trading system and we want to make sure that we continue to operate within it, and that where there are disputes and mechanisms, that they’re used properly. 

Media:      So in terms of the outcomes that you’re looking for here, is it just—on those leader-to-leader conversations—making sure everyone’s still on the same page, or is there something more that you had expected or are expecting to come out of this in terms of some sort of formal understanding?  

PM:           My immediate focus is to make sure that everyone’s staying cool, calm and collected through it, everybody’s making sure that we reaffirm the trading-based system so that we actually don’t get blocs going to war with each other as a consequence of the instability in the tariff situation globally, and just reassuring and making sure that everyone’s reassured around that. I spoke, as I said, to the Irish Prime Minister. I spoke to Keir Starmer about it. I spoke to Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders as well about it, and I think there’s very good alignment across the system to make sure that that doesn’t break down. 

Media:      Prime Minister, do you believe that one of the factors in the Canadian and the Australian election wins was a backlash against Trump’s policies?

PM:           No, what I believe it was about was—as I think about the Singaporean election, where the popular vote went up, when I think about the Australian election and the Canadian election, there were some different dynamics in each of those elections, obviously, but for me what it really is about is people wanting to endorse incumbent governments that actually have strong economic management in very uncertain times, and actually that’s what I think our Government’s done very well. We’ve been very focused from day one. You’ve heard me say it. Rebuild the economy to lower the cost of living. That’s what our task has been about, and actually we’ve got commercially literate, economically literate leadership in place in New Zealand in a very difficult and challenging time. So I think that’s really about strong economic management. Now, when you see the parties that have lost, it’s because they’ve been focused on things that actually haven’t mattered to the population. You’ve got to be able to be focused, you know, ruthlessly on lowering the cost of living. That’s what people care about. 

Media:      Can you break that down in the Australian example? Are you saying that the left-leaning Labour Party are the strong economic managers, and the right-leaning, broad-church Liberal Party are not? 

PM:           Well, I’m not commenting on the individual elections. I’m just saying to you when I look at, you could argue, a centre-right Government in Singapore that increased its vote because it’s got strong economic management in very uncertain times, which you heard Prime Minister Wong talk to—likewise, you see what’s happened in the UK, where a Conservative Government didn’t focus on the economics and manage the economy well. I think of Liz Truss and the damage that was done to the Conservative Party there. So I’m just saying it’s too simplistic to go, “It’s a centre-left or centre-right argument”. It’s actually about incumbent governments that have strong economic management. When the public’s feeling anxiety about global uncertainty, they want to know that there’s great leadership in place that can navigate them through that. 

Media:      [Inaudible] the losers in those election results had been distracted by other things, so is it fair to say that the Libs in Australia were distracted by other things—

PM:           Well, I’m not—

Media:      —and would you categorise some of that as being about some of the Trump-like policies they were driving? 

PM:           Well, no, all I’m saying to you is, as a leader of a political party in a coalition Government here in New Zealand, it’s very important that we are focused on the things that New Zealanders care about, and we are. And the number one thing that they care about, and you hear all the time, is about the economy and cost of living. That is the number one concern. That’s why it’s been—you know, you get sick of me talking about it, I know you guys do, but that’s why I’ve been banging on about the economy from day one, because that’s the thing that makes the single biggest difference to the people out there. That’s what they care about. And so all you’re seeing with those election results and those three over the last week is essentially, you know, the public, quite rightly, want their politicians focused on delivering for them and making their life better. And we do that by focusing on the economy, getting more money into their back pocket. 

Media:      Prime Minister, Toitū Te Tiriti rōpū have been granted an urgent hearing in front of the Waitangi Tribunal on the Regulations Standards Bill. How concerned are you that the claimants—there’s 12,000 claimants to be heard in that claim. 

PM:           Well, we’ll have more to say about the Regulatory Standards Bill. As you know, it’s on our quarterly action plan and we’ll talk about that in due course, but it would be premature for me to talk about that. 

Media:      How concerned are you, though, that this could be as big as the hīkoi on the Treaty Principles Bill? 

PM:           Well, again, we’ll go through a process about—you know, the objective of that Bill is to make sure we make better regulation in New Zealand. That’s what that’s about. And so, you know, let’s let that play out and go through the normal process, where I’m sure there’ll be submissions and feedback on the Bill as it goes through a select committee process. But it’s a bit too premature to jump to that conclusion. 

Media:      Going through the process then, will you be voting it down at second reading? 

PM:           Well, no, we’re going through a process. A Bill will get produced and go to a first reading. 

Media:      I thought it was the same process as the Treaty Principles Bill. No? 

PM:           Sorry, I don’t understand your question. 

Media:      The Government’s support, the National Party’s support of the Regulatory Standards Bill. 

PM:           No, we’re committed to delivering a Regulatory Standards Bill into law here in New Zealand, but we’ve got a process to work through. The Bill is about making sure this is—you know, that Governments make good regulation and that we make better rules and better laws and better—and do that policy development in a much better way. And so, you know, we need to let that Bill go through the process as it normally would, exactly as Fast Track did, as other Bills that we’ve gone through as a Government. We’ve worked our way through it. 

Media:      Prime Minister, just back to Mark’s questions around chatting to world leaders around trade and stability there, have you had a chance to talk to Winston Peters further about this and your Government’s strategy, how you’re going to— 

PM:           I think what you’re all misunderstanding is that there are four Ministers that have been working really closely together from day one, and we come together as a small group—in fact, we’re meeting again this week—and that is myself, obviously, as Prime Minister, Winston, obviously, as Foreign Minister, Judith as Defence Minister and Todd as Trade Minister. And in all of these conversations, which obviously have overlapping areas, we work really, really closely together. So we have conversations all the time on all of these issues and we’ll continue to do so. So we’re very aligned on what we’re trying to achieve. We’re trying to lift the intensity, the urgency and the relevancy of New Zealand with our partners, with the benefit of expanding defence and security, making sure that we can drive trade and investment, and making sure we have good standing with—and good reputation with all partners. 

Media:      Sorry, just to follow up, I understand that you obviously meet regularly and that you’re on the same page there at a high level, but it was the Foreign Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister who raised specifically how you were doing that and whether the steps were being discussed.

PM:           Look, I think I spoke about that ad nauseum several weeks ago when you first raised it. 

Media:      Sure. 

PM:           I’m just saying to you we know exactly what we’re doing and we’re very much in sync and lined up on all of this stuff. 

Media:      On Lake Alice, the Attorney-General is named as a defendant on that case. I understand you can’t speak about the substance of the case, but has Judith Collins either recused herself or have you asked her to put in place any kind of management around response to the state abuse— 

PM:           Look, I’m not going to get into the case and I—

Media:      I’m sorry, I’m not asking you to get into the case.  

PM:           Yeah, no, I get that. I understand. 

Media:      Yeah. In terms of managing her conflict there, as she is now named as a—

PM:           Any conflicts are well managed within our Government, yeah.

Media:      And how is that being managed in this case?

PM:           Again, I’m not going to go into detail with that now. Suffice to say that there’s an issue before the courts. We’ll let that complainant go through that process and we will manage any conflicts that are a result of that. 

Media:      Prime Minister, with the respect to the CCCFA reform, the Government’s making the choice to retrospectively legislate, which is unusual. Aren’t you running the risk of looking as if the Government is favouring the Australian banks over New Zealand borrowers by doing so? What’s the rationale? 

PM:           Look, again, I would encourage you to talk to Scott Simpson about the CCCFA because it’s quite a technical question and I think in fairness, as the Minister—

Media:      You’re not aware of the Cabinet position? 

PM:           No, I’m well aware of the Cabinet position, but what I’m saying to you is I also hold my Ministers accountable and I expect them to answer technical questions. If you want—

Media:      [Inaudible] so unusual, I would have thought that you would have a view. 

PM:           Well, no, we’re quite comfortable with it in this process. As I said, we passed this through the Cabinet. We discussed it. The CCCFA was a total dog’s breakfast from the previous administration, designed to clamp down on predatory lending and ended up actually squeezing a whole bunch of liquidity for people trying to access funding for mortgages. Getting asked how much you’re spending on Netflix, how much coffee you’re having, what sort of pet food you use; all of that stuff is not what it’s about. 

Media:      [Inaudible] is retrospective legislation which would effectively kill off a piece of class action which has been underway for six years or so, and which starts with legislation which was effectively put in place by [Inaudible]—

PM:           Yeah, again, I’ll just direct you to Scott Simpson if you want to talk about that. 

Media:      The only benefactors of what Peter is talking about are the two Australian banks. Why, in the climate and given all of the rhetoric that has been going on around clamping down on banks, would the Government want to put themselves in a position where the banks get off scot-free? 

PM:           Well, again, you know, we’re fixing the CCCFA, given the mess that it created, and we’ve made that decision as a Cabinet. If you want to direct technical questions, can I just suggest you talk to Scott Simpson about it? 

Media:      It’s a very simple question. From a Government that has taken a very strong position on things like supermarkets, banks—you’ve made these inquiries and investigations—you have a situation in front of you where two Australian-owned banks who make significant, billion-dollar profits are the only people that are going to benefit from this retrospective legislation. Why would your Government want to take that position?

PM:           No, we’re fixing legislation because of liquidity challenges, where regular people couldn’t get mortgages for their housing because something that was designed to deal with predatory lending has ended up creating, you know, an unintended or intended consequence or unintended consequence. So there’s a lot more going on in the legislation reset than just what you’re talking about. 

Media:      The people who brought this class action might be facing their own liquidity challenges, and your retrospective legislation is effectively allowing hundreds of millions of dollars of money that they’re owed to go to Australian—

PM:           Sorry guys, I’m not going to get into it. I’ll let you talk to Scott Simpson and he can go through the details with you. 

Media:      But as a principle of natural justice and the rule of law, shouldn’t Cabinet have a position on the rightness of retrospectively legislating hundreds of millions of dollars away that people are owed in New Zealand? 

PM:           Look, we’ve had our Cabinet conversation, this decision we’ve made and we’re comfortable with it. If you want to ask technical questions, go to Scott Simpson. OK, team—

Media:      Did you have all the information when you made that decision—

PM:           Yes. 

Media:      —and are you going to go back and look at it at all? 

PM:           We had all the decisions, and again, direct the questions to Scott. Right, last question. 

Media:      Just back to Erica Stanford again, you’ve dismissed most of it as a printing issue, but if she was discussing policy ideas with members of the public from a personal e-mail account, do you not see that as problematic? 

PM:           What is problematic is when materials from personal e-mail accounts are not retained for official information purposes. That is the problem. And so, in this case, as I—you know, all those materials—I’m not aware of any materials not having been retained and any official information requests that actually ask for those emails, they’ve been provided, as I understand it. 

Media:      Is it a fact that she has been discussing policy issues with members of the public, and does that extend to budget-sensitive information? 

PM:           Well, there is unsolicited e-mail correspondence that happens from, you know, relationships that she will have through—that come through a private e-mail account. Again, she’s now put in place mechanisms to make sure that actually that is managed more appropriately going forward. I think that is appropriate. She’s got technical fixes that actually help support that. That’s a good thing. OK. 

Media:      On Sir Brian Roche—

PM:           On Sir Brian Roche, yeah. 

Media:      On Sir Brian Roche taking over the teachers’ negotiations, do you think he’ll do a better job than the Ministry would, and do you want to see him do collective negotiations more throughout the public service? 

PM:           I’m a big supporter of more centralised bargaining, yeah, done through the PSC.

Media:      Has she discussed budget-sensitive information with members of the public before it’s public? 

PM:           Again—

Media:      Stuart Nash got sacked for that. 

PM:           Yeah, I’m just saying to you—no, I’m just saying to you it’s quite appropriate through the Cabinet Manual that actually people may use their personal e-mail accounts and phone numbers for conversations, but those materials have to be retained. They have been retained. They are available for official information requests. That’s the important thing here. OK. All right, guys. Thanks so much. 

conclusion of press conference

MIL OSI

Kia ora and good morning everyone.
Before I start, can I acknowledge the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to speak to all of you this morning.
It comes at a difficult time for the global economy, with rising rhetoric, escalating tariffs, and the prospect of further retaliation to come.
I had originally planned to take this opportunity to speak about my Government’s plan for economic growth – to create jobs, lift incomes, and put more money back in the wallets of Kiwis.
I will still touch on that.
It’s my Government’s top priority and it frames just about every decision we take here in Wellington as we focus on improving the lives of all New Zealanders.
But with markets rocked and exporters facing uncertainty, I know there’s one topic front of mind for many businesses and many households.
So this morning I want to take some time to speak to those events and make the case for free trade and the rules-based international order.
Trade is the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy.
Whether it’s our incredible farmers and growers, our outstanding tourism industry, or our burgeoning tech sector, Kiwis businesses thrive when we compete on the world stage.
Our success isn’t an accident – and it didn’t happen overnight.
Successive generations of trade negotiators and political leaders have invested in relationships offshore, and worked hard to complete deals like CER, the China FTA, the CPTPP, and the more recent EU, UK, UAE and GCC FTAs.
Business leaders have moved rapidly, too – finding fresh opportunities for growth in emerging markets, and developing outstanding products back home that put New Zealand on the map.
Our rural economy in particular represents the very best of open and competitive trade – selling into difficult markets, with no direct financial support, and consistently coming out on top.
I could – and often do – speak at length about the contribution exporters make to the domestic economy.
But trade goes both ways.
Yes, export growth will be critical to improving New Zealand’s economic prospects in the coming years.
But the removal of New Zealand’s own trade barriers and embrace of goods and services imported from offshore has also led to a major improvement in our quality of life in recent years.
Our clothing is more affordable, our cars are more reliable, our diets are more diverse, and our holidays in Bali and Europe are a nice contrast to summers at the lake or the beach.
Free trade of goods purchased from offshore has also supported growth in productivity.
Kiwi exporters rely on the trucks, tractors, jet engines, computers, and smart phones we buy from overseas that make their businesses tick.
And it’s not realistic to expect that in a country of just five million people, we could make everything we need here at home.
Political leaders have tried that before in New Zealand – and it didn’t end well.
Older generations will remember the efforts we went to.
Governments imposed strict import controls and encouraged cars and televisions to be assembled here at home.
And like today, conflict offshore occasionally helped to send prices spiralling – but the response looked very different.
In the late 1970s, politicians imposed “carless days”, with stickers on your vehicle dictating which days you could drive to work, and which days you caught a ride with a friend or just walked into town instead.
There was no “work from home” in 1979.
Agriculture, today the backbone of our economy, was heavily subsidised and much less productive, much less diverse than the efficient and entrepreneurial sector thriving in New Zealand today.
Those failed policies weren’t just foolish economics.
They reflected the best efforts of political leaders to insulate New Zealand from an era of major social and geopolitical change.
History shows those best efforts were a mistake, that required years of difficult choices and careful recovery.
New Zealanders paid the price then.
I don’t intend for them to do so again.
Which brings us to today.
The events of recent days are the most significant challenge to the rules-based trading system since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was formed in 1947.
Action, reaction, and response have shocked financial markets.
As the Minister of Finance highlighted earlier this week, the direct impact on the New Zealand economy from the US tariffs announced last week is likely to be around $900 million or roughly 0.2% of GDP.
But the second order consequences of a region and a world retreating from trade and increasingly uncertain about its economic future will be more significant, despite the welcome news of de-escalation this morning.
I know for many businesses keeping an eye offshore and for those New Zealanders watching their KiwiSaver accounts, that could be confronting.
The exporters I’ve spoken to in recent days remain buoyant, rightly confident in the quality of their product, and their ability to navigate choppy waters.
But for countries whose prosperity is underpinned by global trade, the months ahead will be challenging for their economic interests.
Many commentators will see these events as just the next step in a longer-term trend towards economic security and national resilience, as countries insure themselves against emerging geopolitical threats.
Others have gone further, declaring an end to the era of free markets, free trade, and free people, and the rules-based international order underpinning it.
For my part, I’m not ready to throw in the towel quite yet. Kiwis have worked too hard and for too long, to give up on the values and institutions which have seen our country and the region we live in thrive.
So, for as long as I am Prime Minister, New Zealand will keep making the case for trade as a cornerstone of our prosperity.
Yes, we are a small country – but stature has never been a barrier to our success.
Take the P3 – a proposed trade agreement which began life under negotiation at APEC between New Zealand, Singapore, and Chile in the early 2000s.
Three small countries, practicing what we preach – and doing everything we could to create opportunity for our people through trade.
Today, that agreement lives on as the CPTPP and covers a dozen countries, including New Zealand and Australia, Canada, much of Asia, and most recently the United Kingdom.
In total, that’s roughly 15% of global economic activity, or $13 trillion USD – a long way from where we started just over twenty years ago.
The United Kingdom might be the most recent accession, but I expect they won’t be the last.
New Zealand will continue to work with like-minded countries to promote free trade as a path to prosperity and explore the role of the CPTPP in strengthening that vision.
One possibility is that members of the CPTPP and the European Union work together to champion rules-based trade and make specific commitments on how that support plays out in practice.
My vision is that includes action to prevent restrictions on exports and efforts to ensure any retaliation is consistent with existing rules.
Collective action, and a collective commitment, by a large portion of the global economy would be a significant step towards preserving free trade flows and protecting supply chains.
Clearly though, efforts at collective action won’t be enough to support New Zealand’s economic interests.
As Prime Minister, I have a responsibility to do everything I can to both bolster the existing rules-based order and to further strengthen New Zealand’s position offshore.
It’s why I have put so much emphasis on deepening our relationships with partners around the region, with visits throughout South-East Asia, Korea and Japan, the United States, and to India last month as we commenced negotiations for a free trade agreement.
It’s why my Government has worked so hard to close out fresh agreements with the UAE and GCC that enable additional trade and investment.
It’s why we hosted an Investment Summit in Auckland, making the case both for New Zealand as an outstanding place to do business and for the opportunity to enter long-term infrastructure partnerships.
It’s why on Monday this week the Minister of Defence and I launched the Government’s Defence Capability Plan, that lifts defence expenditure to 2% of GDP and ensures New Zealand pulls its weight for many years to come.
It’s why I will be on the phone later today to world leaders comparing notes on world trade, and testing what we can do together to buttress the rules-based trading system.
And it’s why I will be heading to the United Kingdom later this month to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to talk trade, security, and the geopolitical backdrop in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
We can’t make the case for New Zealand sitting at home.
We have to position ourselves as advocates both for our own economic interests and the institutions that underpin them.
I’m very lucky to lead a Government with so many Ministers dedicated to that task, whether that’s the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Trade, or the Minister of Defence, each of whom having already made a number of significant achievements supporting New Zealand’s interests offshore.
Back home, the volatility offshore is a fresh reminder of just how important our focus on economic growth will be in the coming years.
As I said recently at our Investment Summit in Auckland, New Zealand can be a shelter from the global storm.
That brings a serious opportunity from ensuring our business environment is as welcoming as possible for investment and growth.
We are making serious inroads into that task.
Earlier this year, Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis published our Government’s Going for Growth Agenda, which outlines a range of actions we are taking to get the New Zealand economy moving and realising its vast potential.
Each of those actions fits into one of five pillars we have identified as critical to lifting economic growth and improving New Zealanders’ standard of living:

Developing talent,
Encouraging innovation, science, and technology,
Introducing competitive business settings,
Promoting global trade and investment,
And delivering infrastructure for growth.

Across each of those pillars, we have Ministers working day and night to drive through reform – in transport, tourism, aquaculture, construction, advanced aviation, mining, energy, agriculture, and horticulture.
In just the last few weeks, we have presented our plans to replace the Resource Management Act, fix our broken health and safety laws, and make nation-shaping investments like the Northland Expressway.
We have introduced the Fast Track regime, streamlining the consenting process for projects of regional and national significance.
We are re-writing the Overseas Investment Act, so major investments from offshore are consented faster and more reliably.
We are tearing down the barriers to fresh investment in renewable and non-renewable energy, by repealing the oil and gas ban and ushering in new consenting rules for wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal.
And we are doubling down on efforts to showcase New Zealand to the world, promoting our tourism and international education sectors offshore so we can attract even more people to spend their money here.
I know there’s more we can do.
Growth has now returned, and the economy has turned the corner, but our reform agenda will need to continue at pace for us to out-run the challenges to growth facing us from offshore.
The challenges to the rules-based international order are intense and the strategic environment my government has inherited is more difficult than it has been for many years.
For New Zealanders who grew up watching events unfold in Europe and the Middle East, it will be confronting to watch strategic competition and the deterioration of rules-based trade come to our neighbourhood, the Indo-Pacific.
But the response for New Zealand cannot be retreat.
New Zealanders are at our best when faced with adversity and we thrive when we compete on the world stage.
To quote my friend the Foreign Minister, this isn’t our first rodeo.
Our export sector is jam-packed with talented, sharp New Zealanders who make great products – and create jobs here at home while they do it.
Farmers, growers, wine makers, and start-ups from all around the country investing in our nation’s future because they have confidence that better days lie ahead.
I’m not ready to call time on the rules-based trading system.
And I’m not ready for New Zealand to give up on our efforts to advocate for it on the world stage.
We’re not in this alone.
The same institutions that have served New Zealand so well for so long, also underpin the prosperity of so many of our friends and partners, many of whom are also continuing to make the case for free and open trade in recent days.
My government will keep making the case – overseas, here at home, with a strong voice and a consistent message.
Free trade works.
It lifts incomes.
It creates jobs.
It builds partnerships.
And it secures peace.
I think that’s worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight.
Thank you.

MIL OSI

Phu Quoc Island has captured global attention as the chosen venue for the 2027 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Week.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 January 2025 – The Hong Kong Industrial Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Centre (FLAIR), specialising in AI and robotics application R&D, will make its debut at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, USA, from 7 to 10 January.