At least one headline-grabbing ministerial announcement had not been posted on the government’s official website, when Point of Order checked early this afternoon.
We learned from other sources
- that Michael Wood has been stood down as Transport Minister over over failing to properly disclose shares owned in Auckland Airport; and
- Rino Tirikatene, Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth, is travelling to Singapore today on a mission (unabashedly discriminatory) to “promote business investment for wāhine entrepreneurs, and explore investment opportunities for Māori land-based aquaculture”.
Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will visit New Zealand this week, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.
In his press statement, Chris Hipkins demonstrated he has gained prowess at speaking the language of international diplomacy;
“New Zealand and Fiji have a long standing relationship, based on close cooperation in areas of mutual interest like climate change, and ensuring a safe, secure and economically prosperous Pacific region.
“While we were together in Papua New Guinea recently, it was clear Prime Minister Rabuka was highly respected and influential not just in Fiji, but also across the wider Pacific region.
“I’m looking forward to building on our discussions there, and reaffirming New Zealand’s support as a trusted friend and bilateral partner to Fiji.”
New Zealand and Fiji shared a strong focus on Pacific regionalism, including upholding Pacific Islands Forum unity; resuming financial support for the University of South Pacific; and working with other traditional partners, such as Australia, on defence and security matters.
They were also cooperating closely to address climate change and its impacts.
“Both New Zealand and Fiji are not strangers to the devastating impacts of climate change, and I again want to thank Fiji for their support in our response to Cyclone Gabrielle,” said Chris Hipkins.
He expected he and Rabuka also would be discussing their long history of close sporting, cultural, and people-to-people links and the work we are doing alongside the Fiji Government in the spirit of our Duavata Partnership agreement.
Rabuka’s formal engagements in Auckland and Wellington will include bilateral meetings with Hipkins, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Minister for Climate Change James Shaw, and a ceremonial visit to the National War Memorial and Pacific War Memorial Te Reo Hotunui o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, at Pukeahu.
His programme also includes a number of community events, coordinated by the Fiji High Commission in New Zealand.
The New Zealand Herald was among the newspapers and broadcasters dining off the news that Michael Wood has been stood down as Transport Minister.
In a statement, Hipkins said he had spoken to Wood this morning and advised Wood that he would be stood down from the transport portfolio “while any remaining issues around his conflicts are appropriately resolved”.
“Michael has indicated to me his intention to sell the shares in Auckland International Airport as soon as possible. I believe that is the appropriate course of action,” Hipkins said.
“He has also indicated he will work through with the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests how best to resolve the issues around his past declarations.”
Kieran McAnulty will be the acting Transport Minister.
Hipkins was questioned in Parliament this afternoon about Wood’s suspension.
Our email brought news of Tirikatane’s travels “to drive Māori export growth abroad”.
His statement says he will travel to Singapore today, to meet with Singaporean counterparts, promote business investment for wāhine entrepreneurs, and explore investment opportunities for Māori land-based aquaculture.
Singapore is one of New Zealand’s most significant trading partners, with whom we have a complementary and dispute free trade relationship with over $10 billion traded in the year ending December 2022, he said.
“My visit will promote export growth opportunities between key Māori exporters, iwi and Singaporean agencies, technology entities, and investors to unlock commercial and technology transfer opportunities.
“It is well aligned with objectives promoting Māori businesses under the Trade for All and Aotearoa ki te Ao strategies, creating trade and export lift for New Zealand.”
The Minister will meet with Singaporean counterparts to discuss New Zealand’s existing bilateral trade and economic cooperation with Singapore including supply chain resilience, digital economy and green economy initiatives.
Talks will also focus on exploring land-based aquaculture technology with the goal of transferring knowledge and technology back to New Zealand, to drive greenfield investment in the aquaculture sector across New Zealand.
He will speak at a NZTE hosted InvestHer Investment Showcase evening, “which will showcase some of New Zealand’s amazing wāhine-led businesses”.
The InvestHer event will bring together investors, key ecosystem players and women-in-business champions to connect and build relationships to help bring these businesses to the world.
Rino Tirikatene departs today and will be travelling from 6 – 10 June.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
1 comment:
No doubt he will be talking to his Singaporean counterparts in Te Reo.
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