The PM remembers to congratulate honours winners while colleagues are forging links with foreign partners
Someone must have reminded the PM what day it was yesterday, because after Point of Order had checked the government’s official website for the latest announcements yesterday morning, we found a press statement headed …
PM congratulates King’s Birthday Honours recipients
Something else that hadn’t been posted when we checked was a Speech to the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2024 delivered by Defence Minister Judith Collins.
In New Zealand we recognise that our security and prosperity is connected to and dependent on wider regional and global security and prosperity.
We will be increasing the energy we bring to our international security partnerships, to support our strong interest in wider regional security and the strength of the international rules-based system.
Oh, and Trade Minister Todd McClay in tandem with Climate Change Minister Simon Watts are headed for Singapore today to sign “groundbreaking” agreements in the form of three Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) agreements.
We will be increasing the energy we bring to our international security partnerships, to support our strong interest in wider regional security and the strength of the international rules-based system.
Oh, and Trade Minister Todd McClay in tandem with Climate Change Minister Simon Watts are headed for Singapore today to sign “groundbreaking” agreements in the form of three Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) agreements.
Latest from the Beehive
3 JUNE 2024
Trade Minister Todd McClay and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts travel to Singapore tomorrow to sign three Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) agreements.
Minister of Education Erica Stanford today recognises the significant achievements of those included in the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List, particularly those being celebrated for their services to education.
Katareina Kaiwai (Ngāti Porou, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga) has been awarded a King’s Service Medal for services to women and the civil construction industry.
Ethnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee has congratulated the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours recipients hailing from ethnic communities.
Minister of Health and Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti today recognises the significant work of those included in the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List, particularly those being honoured for services to health and medical sciences and services to Pacific communities.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has congratulated the recipients included on the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List, saying they reflect the best of New Zealand.
Speech
2 JUNE 2024
Thank you to the International Institute for Strategic Studies for the invitation to speak on this panel today, and for your ongoing work organising the Shangri-La Dialogue.
In his statement Christopher Luxon congratulated the 176 recipients on the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List, which include the appointments of two Dames and two Knights.
You weren’t on the list?
Next time, maybe.
Meanwhile, Judith Collins was telling her august International Institute for Strategic Studies audience that not only is she our Minister of Defence; she is also the Minister responsible for New Zealand’s intelligence agencies, Minister for space and Minister of science, innovation and technology.
She said she is focused on ensuring that New Zealand is an active and constructive partner, and that the New Zealand Defence Force has the right capabilities to operate effectively on the international stage.
She also mentioned the importance of the Five Power Defence Arrangements that include Singapore and Malaysia, and the investigation of new arrangements that support defence policy dialogues and exercises o which New Zealand can make a meaningful contribution.
With Australia, Japan and Korea, we are now engaging more closely with NATO.
Not because NATO seeks a role in the Indo-Pacific, as indeed the NATO partners have made clear, but to discuss and cooperate on security issues that affect our shared interests.
New Zealand also welcomes AUKUS as an initiative to enhance regional security and stability.
Pillar II involves cooperation between some of our closest security partners on advanced, non-nuclear technologies, including areas in which we already work closely together with our only ally Australia, the US and the UK.
New Zealand is investigating opportunities for New Zealand’s potential involvement in AUKUS Pillar II, but any decisions about participation would be a matter for cabinet, and the existing members, in due course.
Outside of a strictly “security lane”, NZ is continuing to work with a range of countries on international agreements that will have security benefits. Collins – as an example – cited the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity.
New Zealand also sees value in, and supports, multinational security arrangements in which we are not directly involved, she said.
The Indo-Pacific Quad, involving India, Japan, Australia and the United States is a good example of states working together to support security in ways that align with New Zealand’s own interests and values.
While this won’t be a particularly novel suggestion, I consider that these types of international arrangements are a key way for states to cooperate to support their shared security interests.
Both for the benefits these arrangements directly provide, but also because as a collective these arrangements provide networks of cooperation that can connect states, and regions as a whole, to each other.
Then there’s the Indo Pacific Economic Framework.
It has 14 partners representing 40 per cent of global GDP and accounting for 50 per cent of New Zealand’s exports. They include critical markets for Kiwi exporters in Australia, Bruni Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, The United States, and Vietnam.
Minister McClay will participate in the full IPEF Ministerial meeting which includes discussions on a Indo-Pacific wide trade agreement. He will participate in the formal signing of the overarching IPEF Agreement and the Fair Economy Agreement.
These agreements focus on anti-corruption efforts and labour standards across the region along with increased international tax cooperation to shape a secure and transparent investment climate in the Indo-Pacific region.
While at IPEF Minister McClay will hold bilateral meetings with Ministers from Australia, Canada, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and The United States.
Minister Watts will participate in a Clean Economies Investors forum including a signing ceremony for the Clean Economy Agreement to increases cooperation on climate goals by mobilising investment in technologies and solutions for energy, industry and transport.
He will be joined by “a select group” of New Zealand clean tech companies that have been invited to pitch to the region’s top investors at the inaugural Clean Economy Investor Forum.
Workstreams on hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel are among those already operating under the Clean Economy Agreement.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
1 comment:
I don't see any contributors to this blog on Kings Birthday Honours list.
Why not?
There are several contributors that immediately come to mind for their contributions here and to NZ in a wider context.
Talk about who you know to get the gong.
PS I am sure I should congratulate those who got there. Congratulations.
PPS I will never be in the running so no sour grapes on my part. Just entrenched cynicism.
Get rid of the scam in my opinion.
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