Defence Minister doesn’t mention US or China at international summit – and Singapore newspaper doesn’t mention him

Buzz from the Beehive

Defence Minister Andrew Little, addressing big-wigs from around the world in Singapore, was oh-so-diplomatically disinclined to identify some countries as goodies or baddies in his government’s defence thinking.

In his Speech To The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2023, he did say New Zealand’s most recent defence assessment identified climate change and “geostrategic competition” as the two greatest security challenges to our place in the South Pacific.

But he did not mention China, the United States or Australia.

He did mention Russia, Ukraine and North Korea.

Mātauranga Māori will propel Pāpāmoa school kids’ science learning (in te reo) and give lift-off to NZ’s space policy

Buzz from the Beehive

Two ministerial press statements today draw attention to the Government’s incorporation of  mātauranga Māori in its science policies and programmes.

One of these announced the launch of the national space policy, which will oblige our space boffins to bring indigenous knowledge into their considerations.

The national policy document tells us:

• As part of informing diverse space policies and sector development initiatives, the New Zealand government will engage mātauranga Māori expertise.

And

• Mātauranga Māori and space are deeply connected, with space representing whakapapa (genealogical links to the beginning of the universe), wairuatanga (the spiritual connection between Earth and the universe, derived from Māori cosmology), and tātai arorangi (Māori knowledge of astronomy). The New Zealand government encourages inclusive collaborations with individuals or groups who are currently underrepresented in the space sector (including but not limited to Māori) and for these collaborations to work toward sustainable outcomes. The New Zealand government will also strive to further understand and assess representation across the space sector, to best direct inclusive collaboration opportunities.

Another statement released today tells us a school will  be built in Pāpāmoa for kids who will be taught in te reo about science, engineering, mathematics and what-have-you.

Govt is open about NZ’s science relationship with China – but a ministerial statement on defence relationship is hard to find

Buzz from the Beehive

The Government is coy about some aspects of its relationship with China – and with the United States.

Earlier this month, the PM spent a hectic  23 hours in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, where he responded to the superpower security deal just struck between the United States and PNG by saying New Zealand did not support the “militarisation of the Pacific”.

He also said “having a military presence doesn’t necessarily signify militarisation”.

Foreign Affairs analyst Geoffrey Miller commented:

Past Budget spending shows up as Bushmasters arrive – and govt will hope to make a bang with $8m for Māori tourism

Buzz from the Beehive

Budget 2023 continues to provide grist for the mills of ministerial spin doctors charged with drawing favourable attention to the government’s largesse.

Goodies generated by Defence appropriations in budgets past are winning headlines today, too.  Defence Minister Andrew Little has been enthusing about the arrival of the first 18 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles for the New Zealand Army.

Since December 2017, the Government has invested more than $4.5 billion in 12 major defence capability projects, he said. This includes $102.9 million towards the Bushmaster fleet.

Last week’s Budget included $8 million for Māori tourism which Māori Development Ministers Willie Jackson and Nanaia Mahuta are publicising today – a week after Budget Day.  Labour’s influential Māori caucus perhaps was bothered that Māori tourism operators were too busy to notice this example of corporate welfare.

The Māori ministers would be hoping to alert the industry – and Māori voters generally – to funding initiatives designed to benefit Māori as poll support for the Māori Party rises. 

Mahuta’s talks succeed in warming up high-level relationships in Beijing, and she opens way for visit by PM

In what has been one of her most important diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta  has opened the door  for  a visit  to Beijing by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins later this year.

Such a mission is regarded as vital with a new Prime Minister  Li Qiang settling into office. NZ’s last contact at prime ministerial level was in 2019 when what was a planned extended Jacinda Ardern mission had to be  cut short.

Since  then tensions have deepened between China (which is New Zealand’s largest market) and  the US (NZ’s  traditional defence partner).

So as Mahuta said on her return from a four-day visit to China, NZ’s relationship  with the leaders in Beijing “is very important and complex”.

It  requires “continual management” to make sure the two countries do not lose sight of each others’ views and perspectives.

Mahuta  had  talks with Foreign Minister Qin Gang  and the  message she received is  that the relationship is strong; China appreciates New Zealand’s “objective and friendly approach” and is keen to pursue opportunities to increase trade and economic co-operation.

BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup: NZ needs to distance itself from Australia’s anti-China nuclear submarines

* Bryce Edwards writes –

The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as part of its Aukus pact with the US and UK to combat China.

The debate over the incredibly expensive and provocative nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet is raging in Australia, where former prime minister Paul Keating has labelled it the country’s worst decision in over a hundred years, especially because of the huge risks it poses to Australia and peace in the region.

Here in New Zealand, reaction and debate has been rather muted, despite the fact that the issue has huge consequences for this country and will inevitably lead to some very tough choices for the Government here.

Former NZ PMs join the debate to condemn Aukus

Debate on what Aukus means for New Zealand is finally getting underway this week, with some interesting contributions yesterday from two former prime ministers.

First, former National prime minister Jim Bolger participated in a forum about New Zealand’s foreign policy in Wellington in which he is reported by the Herald’s Audrey Young to have criticised the Australian submarine buy up as “beyond comprehension” because of the cost and the damage to peace in the Pacific region.

While climate change policies are tossed on to Hipkins’ bonfire, the Greens claim victory with fringe benefit tax changes

Buzz from the Beehive

Exempting bikes, electric bikes and scooters from fringe benefit tax looked like something of a sop for a Green Party that had good grounds to grumble after a bunch of climate change measures was tossed on to the PM’s policy bonfire.

The combustibles included the clean car upgrade scheme, public transport improvement (to be applied in five main centres rather than nationwide), the policy to lease clean cars to low-income families, and work on the proposed container return scheme (deferred rather than dumped).

As things turned out, the Greens seized on the fringe benefit tax announcement as  a political triumph.  Their press statement was headed Greens Secure Win For Clean Transport – and their transport spokesperson, Julie Anne Genter, crowed:

“This is a huge Green win that we have been pushing for many years. It will finally rebalance the tax law to make it easier for people to access e-bikes for commuting to and from work, as well as public transport.”

The Māori Party was not so readily mollified, declaring it was “extremely concerned” with the government’s culling of certain environmental policies, and calling on the climate change minister to stand down because he had failed “dismally”.

This would be Climate Change Minister and Green co-leader James Shaw, who expressed his own disappointment “with some of the choices that were made in terms of the so-called policy bonfire”.

Hipkins has a chance to show he is more effective in getting results than Ardern in his Canberra talks

 

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has undergone a stern baptisim of fire in his first week in his new job, but it doesn’t get any easier.

Next week, he has a vital meeting  in Canberra with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, where he has to establish the same kind of rapport as was established between Albanese and Jacinda Ardern as well as inject new energy into the  trade and defence ties with  NZ’s closest partner and ally.

It’s true Ardern won some concessions from Australia  on the sore point  of what  became known as the “501 deportees”.  As applied by previous administrations, waves of people with criminal records have been sent to New Zealand. Details of the changes now being made have yet to be  fully disclosed, although Albanese has said the policy itself will remain.

Ministers tackle various issues overseas while Kiri Allan extends the Human Rights Act to combat religious bigots in NZ

 Buzz from the Beehive

Two ministers are overseas, combating climate  change (in the case of James Shaw) and Russian invaders  (in the case of Defence Minister Peeni Henare).

Another minister is bound for Paris, to combat mental ill-health among other things, according to his press statement.

And back home, Justice Minister Kiri Allan is combating religious discrimination.

We learn this from the Beehive website, where the latest posts tell us our ministers are –

Warning it is crunch time to take domestic action on climate change

Climate Change Minister James Shaw marked the end of COP27 negotiations in Egypt by saying it is crunch time for counties to step up and take urgent action at home.

Govt cheerleaders whoop the good news (at last) of resource management reform – but keep an eye on the Treaty’s role

Buzz from the Beehive

It was rather like listening to ministers crowing about the goodies being distributed to programmes within their portfolios before, on and after Budget Day.

It was the joyous response from a gaggle of cheerleading ministers to the unveiling of legislation to replace the wretched Resource Management Act.

Environment Minister David Parker made the key announcement and summed up its features under these bullet points:

• The system is broken, consent fees have almost doubled, and consenting time frames increased by 50%
• New standardised conditions will see fewer “bespoke” consents and speed up the process
• Time to consent will shorten, and fast track process retained
• On a conservative estimate costs will fall 19% a year ($149m) or $10b over 30 years
• Environmental protection increases, based on new targets and limits.
• The National Planning Framework will provide consistency and certainty
• 100 RMA plans will reduce to 15