Mahuta (reiterating NZ’s anti-nuclear position in world affairs) says we are a small country but we have sharp teeth
Speaking as Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control, Nanaia Mahuta addressed a conference (unidentified in her speech notes) on the theme of “Populism and Global Politics”.
While discussing foreign policy challenges and the threats from populism, Mahuta said a crucial distinction must be made between populism and popularity.
Nuclear disarmament enjoys widespread support globally, irrespective of a nation’s character or governance structure.
We have witnessed the manifestation of this through the commitment of 190 countries to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the NPT. This agreement seeks to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. A step further, 92 countries, including nine Pacific nations, have endorsed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the TPNW, rendering nuclear weapons illegal for those countries under international law.
But Mahuta expressed disappointments, too.
She acknowledged that disarmament is complex and time-consuming,
However, fifty years on from the adoption of the NPT, I believe we are entitled to expect more momentum and, quite frankly, some progress.
Some may argue that in this challenging environment, we must remain realistic and that pursuing disarmament right now is nothing short of naïve. However, the stark reality is that as long as nuclear weapons exist, there is always a risk they will be used, leading to catastrophic humanitarian consequences.
The perspective of Aotearoa New Zealand is that it is far more sustainable and realistic to actively pursue nuclear disarmament than to live in a state of suspended hope that there will be no negative consequences from an indefinite reliance on nuclear weapons for security and stability.
Mahuta concluded that New Zealand might be small, but it was not alone,
… and we have agency to advocate for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and to build the coalition in support of urgent progress.
I will end with a saying from my tribal area which says; “ahakoa he iti, he rei kei roto” which translates as ‘”although I may be small my teeth are sharp”. In this way, Aotearoa New Zealand will continue to use its influence and voice to promote peace, stability and prosperity.
The speech has been posted on the government’s official website along with ministerial announcements and proclamations which answer these burning questions:
- Ugh! What’s that you are serving me?
Don’t be queasy – it’s good for you and it’s good for the environment.
Or it will be once it has been concocted.
The Government is providing $750,000 through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund toward a $1.5 million project with the Cawthron Institute, marine engineering company Kernohan Engineering and biotechnology nutrition start-up NewFish.
The funding will be used to examine Cawthron’s collection of nearly 600 strains of microalgae and collect new samples from rivers, lakes and the sea.
NewFish will work with Kernohan Engineering to take the best microalgae strains and grow them at a commercial scale.
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Rachel Brooking is enthused by the potential for building a new food industry for the country based on protein-rich, carbon-absorbing native microalgae, and by scientists and businesses finding which strains of microalgae might be suitable for including in foods like protein bars and shakes.
Global food demand is expected to increase by 60 per cent by 2050, and food security is threatened by issues like climate change, geopolitics and pests and diseases.
“That’s why the prospect of developing microalgae as a food source is exciting,” Rachel Brooking said.
“It is a low-carbon protein which can be grown sustainably in bioreactors on land. It doesn’t compete with other type of farming for arable land and grows really fast, some of them doubling in size every day.”
Microalgae had the potential to create an abundant, high-quality natural protein source, using only a fraction of the water, land and time of other types of farming, Brooking said.
Furthermore, the process of growing them captures carbon out of the air and stores it – “the very thing we need to do to keep climate change under control and meet our emissions-reduction commitments.”
The SFFF has invested almost $560 million in 263 projects since it was established by the Government in late 2018.
- When will I be too old to apply for a UK Working Holiday Visa?
But Immigration Minister Andrew Little brings good news for our grandchildren – the eligible age for Working Holiday Visas has been extended to 35-year-olds, the length of stay extended to three years and the work period extended to three years
The new rules kick in from today, but the press statement suggests the government was concerned more about enabling young Brits to stay and work longer in New Zealand, and fill regional labour market gaps, rather than encouraging the flight of Kiwis to Britain to fill labour market gaps there.
“We expect over 3,000 young Brits currently visiting New Zealand to be able to benefit from this, and for our employers to benefit from their skills,” Little said
The changes result from the signing of the NZ UK Free Trade Agreement, which allows for UK and New Zealand citizens to travel and work in each other’s countries for longer.
Young Kiwis will be able to stay and work for an extra year in the UK, and can depart later for their OE.
- What is being done to improve our health and wellbeing?
Rather, Associate Health Minister Willow-Jean Prime has grabbed an opportunity for some grandstanding about “a new nationwide service” which offers support and treatment for women suffering complications from surgery involving pelvic mesh is starting to deliver improved outcomes.
But the New Zealand Female Pelvic Mesh Service opened in April.
In Auckland yesterday, Prime met many of those involved in its co-design, including mesh-injured consumers, Māori health and Pacific health representatives, clinicians and Te Whatu Ora leadership. ACC was another important collaborator.
The service, which has had more than 50 referrals so far, offers specialist care and support in line with recommendations from the 2019 restorative justice project on surgical mesh: Hearing and Responding to the Stories of Survivors of Surgical Mesh.
“Health navigators” – one in Christchurch, the other in Auckland, are working with women around the country to help determine the best treatment options.
Patients are then referred to an array of professionals, including specialist nurses, physiotherapists, pain specialists, social workers, occupational therapists and credentialled surgeons.
- Who will pick up the tab for buying unsafe properties after those floods and storms?
Finance Minister Grant Robertson says the aim is to reach agreement by the end of this month.
Early last month (he reminds us) the government and councils announced they would share costs for those in Category 3, along with working together on supporting Category 2 interventions.
Councils are engaging with affected property-owners.
“It’s been agreed that more time is required to work through the policy and parameters, and to make final decisions on how properties will be categorised. This includes which homeowners will be offered a voluntary buy out.”
Category 3 properties have been assessed as unsafe to live in because of the unacceptable risk of future flooding and loss of life. Homes in these areas should not be rebuilt on their current sites and homeowners will be offered a voluntary buyout.
The Government will also share the costs of the work needed to protect Category 2 designated properties. This is where the risk can be managed through community or property-level interventions, including actions like raising nearby stop banks, improving drainage or raising the house.
“I want to reassure people who want certainty so they can relocate or rebuild their home, that this is a priority for the Government,” Grant Robertson said.
Latest from the Beehive
Speech
We come together to discuss the evolving dynamics of our international reality, where numerous shifts and hurdles feature prominently.
Young Brits will be able to stay and work longer in New Zealand, and fill regional labour market gaps, thanks to the extension of the UK Working Holiday Visa from today.
A new nationwide service offering support and treatment for women suffering complications from surgery involving pelvic mesh is starting to deliver improved outcomes.
The Government is backing investigations into a potential new food industry for New Zealand – based on protein-rich, carbon-absorbing native microalgae.
Government and councils are continuing their discussions on how to share the cost of buying out high risk properties following the North Island weather events.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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