Aussies help after hostage release while McClay is involved in CER talks – but Wallabies showed closeness can be uncomfortable
Much of the ministerial action recorded on the government’s official website in recent days has focused on dealings with our near neighbours.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters triumphed in the release of New Zealander Phillip Mehrtens from his kidnappers in Papua; Trade Minister Todd McClay hosted Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua; and Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey met with Australia’s Trade and Tourism Minister of Australia Don Farrell and Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica for a trilateral tourism discussion.
Law and order, crime and crime prevention have loomed large in ministerial considerations, too.
The Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, commented on the report just presented by the Te Puna Aonui Expert Advisory Group for Children and Young People on improving family and sexual violence outcomes for young people.
In a joint statement with Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, as Minister for Children Chhour announced the Government is putting more than $18 million towards improving the experience of the criminal justice system for victims.
And Health Minister Shane Reti has ventured into the law and order business, announcing the taking of urgent action to restrict the sale of nitrous oxide. He welcomed new advice from Medsafe highlighting tougher penalties if sold for recreational purposes.
The only other fresh media release at time of writing came from Housing Minister Tama Potaka, who was chuffed with data showing whānau moved from emergency housing motels into social homes shows that Priority One is making a huge difference.
Law and order, crime and crime prevention have loomed large in ministerial considerations, too.
The Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, commented on the report just presented by the Te Puna Aonui Expert Advisory Group for Children and Young People on improving family and sexual violence outcomes for young people.
In a joint statement with Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, as Minister for Children Chhour announced the Government is putting more than $18 million towards improving the experience of the criminal justice system for victims.
And Health Minister Shane Reti has ventured into the law and order business, announcing the taking of urgent action to restrict the sale of nitrous oxide. He welcomed new advice from Medsafe highlighting tougher penalties if sold for recreational purposes.
The only other fresh media release at time of writing came from Housing Minister Tama Potaka, who was chuffed with data showing whānau moved from emergency housing motels into social homes shows that Priority One is making a huge difference.
Latest from the Beehive
22 September 2024
Trade Minister Todd McClay hosted Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua this weekend.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is able to share new details following the release of New Zealander Phillip Mehrtens in Papua, Indonesia.
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says urgent action is being taken to restrict the sale of nitrous oxide and welcomes new advice from Medsafe highlighting tougher penalties if sold for recreational purposes.
The latest data on whānau moved from emergency housing motels into social homes shows that Priority One is making a huge difference.
21 September 2024
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is pleased to announce that New Zealand pilot, Phillip Mehrtens, taken hostage in Papua, Indonesia, is now safe.
20 September 2024
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey will meet with Trade and Tourism Minister of Australia Don Farrell and Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica in Rotorua this weekend for a trilateral tourism discussion.
The Te Puna Aonui Expert Advisory Group for Children and Young People has presented its report today on improving family and sexual violence outcomes for young people.
The Government is putting more than $18 million towards improving the experience of the criminal justice system for victims, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Minister for Children Karen Chhour say.
Winston Peters – after the release of Phillip Mehrtens – said he now could provide more information relating to the New Zealander’s movements since his release after over a year-and-a-half in captivity.
“Mr Mehrtens’ release involved a wide range of people and organisations, and the New Zealand Government wishes to acknowledge the Papuan community figures, who with the help of the Indonesian Government, assisted in ensuring Phillip’s safe release.”
Australia played a part in the story of Mehrtens’ release:
“Mr Mehrtens had a private reunion with his immediate family last night. After 600 days he also got to spend his first night sleeping in a bed.
“He has this morning been checked by an Australian Embassy doctor and is in remarkably good shape given his long and arduous ordeal.”
All part of being a good neighbour, obviously.
The trans-Tasman relationship was the focus of the talks between Todd McClay and Australia’s Don Farrell at the annual Closer Economic Relations Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua.
But not much headline-grabbing detail emerged in McClay’s account of the talks.
“CER is a gold-standard agreement underpinning $32 billion in annual trade. Minister Farrell and I discussed how we can continue to build on its success to grow trade and investment between our countries and improve conditions for our exporting businesses around the world,” Mr McClay says.
“We agreed on the importance of facilitating trans-Tasman trade, including through the work under way to strengthen the operation of the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement and enhance regulatory coherence.
“We discussed the benefits of addressing non-tariff barriers including restrictions on structural timber exports.
“We also had a productive exchange of views on how we can pursue our shared interests on a range of international agreements and issues including the WTO, CPTPP and other regional trade initiatives.”
The Ministers met with a number of New Zealand and Australian businesses, facilitated by the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum, according to the press statement.
How do you meet with a business?
More likely they met with business big-wigs.
And did they stick strictly to business matters during their discussions? Or did a certain rugby match get a mention at some point?
The “Closer Economic Relationship” is so close that the Aussies hired a New Zealander, Joe Schmidt, to coach the Wallabies when Eddie Jones was replaced.
Come to think of it, the 31-28 win by the All Blacks in Sydney was a close thing, too.
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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