Jacinda Ardern joins ‘MCG worth of Kiwis’ in Melbourne
Kiwi leader Jacinda Ardern has paid Victoria’s premier Daniel Andrews a visit on a five-day trade tour mission in Australia.
Jacinda Ardern has met Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews in Melbourne, with both leaders expressing support for greater collaboration on infrastructure and Covid-19 management strategies.
The NZ Prime Minister visited Melbourne on Tuesday for an ANZ trade delegation breakfast, making the journey to Australia for a second since Anthony Albanese secured government. Ms Ardern told reporters she and Mr Andrews discussed policies relating to the pandemic, aged care and early childhood education.
“We also talked about everything from rail infrastructure,” she said. “There are some significant projects under way here (in Melbourne); we talked about what we are working on back in New Zealand and perhaps the ability to exchange or at least share a bit of the expertise that exists here in Melbourne.
“We talked about pressures on the health system. We talked about early childhood education because there are some new policies here that mirror a little bit what we are doing at home.
“We are ultimately politicians interested in ideas, so we shared a number between us.”
Ms Ardern will also meet NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and the Prime Minister as part of a five-day trade mission to Australia. She is also due to give a foreign policy speech at the Lowy Institute later in the week. She told the trade delegation in Melbourne on Tuesday, which was also attended by newly elected teal independent Monique Ryan and Labor’s member for Higgins Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Australia and NZ were setting “very ambitious climate goals” that would open up trade opportunities.
It was an honour to meet @jacindaardern and the other members of the New Zealand trade delegation hosted by @ANZ_AU.
— Dr Monique Ryan (@Mon4Kooyong) July 5, 2022
We discussed the importance of sustainable and inclusive trade between our countries, and caring for people and place.#auspol#Mon4Kooyongpic.twitter.com/RmNwiZHIsT
“This trip is part of our reconnecting work, its singular focus is on making sure that we’re driving trade, investment opportunities and tourism opportunities for New Zealanders, and I feel very keenly an obligation to make sure that every hour that I’m not in New Zealand, I’m making the most of my time away to promote New Zealand’s interests,” she said.
Mr Andrews said NZ and Victoria had “a great bond” and “a great friendship” as he formally welcomed Ms Ardern to the city.
“It’s a great pleasure to welcome you back to Melbourne and to Victoria,” he said. “We’ve got almost an MCG’s worth of Kiwis living here and they make a really important difference across the economy.”
Earlier he said: “New Zealand is Victoria’s fifth largest trading partner, so it’s all about goods and services, partnership, investment, exports.”
On Tuesday, Mr Andrews also announced he would extend the state’s pandemic declaration until October 12, meaning the new Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas could impose lockdowns among other measures to curb rising Covid-19 infections.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy said continued emergency powers “hurt confidence” and pledged to end the state of emergency if his party was elected at the state’s November poll.
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