Albanese ‘will work’ with NZ election winner on Pacific
Anthony Albanese says it would be ‘appropriate’ to work with NZ’s opposition leader should he win the October election, as Australia and NZ work to strengthen ties in the Pacific.
Anthony Albanese says he will work with New Zealand’s opposition leader Christopher Luxon should the National party win the October election, as Australia and NZ work to strengthen ties with each other and nations of the Pacific.
Mr Albanese has spent two days in Wellington with NZ Prime Minister Chris Hipkins for the annual leaders’ meeting, with the relationship between the two countries its warmest in years.
But on Thursday, after a breakfast of pork and octopus at the Shepherd restaurant with Mr Hipkins, the Prime Minister said he would work with a National party prime minister “as is appropriate.”
Mr Albanese and Mr Luxon had a private meeting after his breakfast with Mr Hipkins – and after Mr Hipkins gave him a bag of NZ goods including coffee, chocolate and gin.
“I have a very good relationship with Prime Minister Hipkins,” Mr Albanese said, before the two men went on walkabout to local businesses, including a brewery (where they did not, I’m sorry to report, enjoy an early morning beer).
“It’s been a fantastic visit and our relationship has gone from strength to strength.
“We’ll continue to co-operate on climate change, the economy and in the Pacific.
“We are stronger together than as single nations. We are working with each other in the Pacific, that’s so important.”
During their bilateral meeting on Wednesday, Mr Albanese and Mr Hipkins stressed the importance of shoring up relations with the Indo-Pacific, agreeing that, as part of a 10 year road map the two countries would play a more active role with the ‘family’ of island nations, in part to push against China’s increasingly assertive push into the region.
China’s growing presence, which saw it sign a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year and a series of agreements this month which Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has refused to disclose, has fuelled concern in the US and Australia about Beijing’s ambitions, and prompted increased Western aid and engagement in the Pacific.
With New Zealand acknowledged by the AUKUS partners as the gateway to the Pacific, due to its close relationship with Pacific nations (Auckland is recognised as Samoa’s largest city),it has become an increasingly important player in the region.
A switch of government will do nothing to change that – or the country’s move toward Washington as its notoriously soft stance on China starts to harden.
On Wednesday, Mr Hipkins said the door was open for New Zealand to join the second pillar of AUKUS – a major step for the PM, who has previously prevaricated over the issue, describing the idea of a staunchly nuclear free NZ joining the pact as “hypothesis.”
And on Thursday US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made it clear Wellington would be welcome to join the pact, saying that the door was “very much open” for NZ to engage with AUKUS “as a trusted partner.”
On a visit to NZ’s capital that coincided with that of Mr Albanese, Mr Blinken acknowledged NZ’s “complex” relationship with countries in the region, “especially as the US moves to enhance ties between our Pacific partners.”
After meeting NZ Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, Mr Blinken said Washington wanted to use Wellington’s relationships in the Pacific “to defend the Indo-Pacific so nations make their own decisions free from coercion.” The remark was a pointed dig at Beijing, which he accused of economic coercion this week while in Tonga to dedicate a new US embassy.
Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller said NZ’s rapid move toward Washington was remarkable, particularly given the country’s at times tetchy relationship with the US after America suspended its obligations to New Zealand under the ANZUS treaty in the mid 1980s in response to Wellington’s introduction of a nuclear free policy.
“It’s micro steps rather than a quantum leap but it’s significant,” he said.
Mr Miller pointed out the relationship would only get closer under a National government, with both Mr Luxon and potential coalition partner David Seymour of the libertarian ACT party supporting AUKUS.
“Joining AUKUS would be a huge shift for NZ’s foreign policy, but I think that is probably on life support by now anyway,” he said.
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