Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has acknowledged a drift in trans-Tasman relations and promised to reinstate annual meetings with Prime Minister John Key to underscore her promise to usher in a new era.
Ms Gillard left New Zealand yesterday after her first prime ministerial visit, in which news about the death of a Kiwi soldier in Afghanistan broke as she prepared to deliver a historic speech to Parliament – the first foreign leader to do so.
In her speech, she drew heavily on a shared Anzac history and spoke about the special relationship New Zealand and Australia shared on the battlefield and elsewhere.
But she acknowledged the drift in recent years after a four-year gap since a full bilateral visit to New Zealand by an Australian prime minister.
We reckon that's a no-brainer. Australia is our most significant friend, on many levels. Our trade with Australia is our lifeblood. We love to take on the Australians on the sports field, and love it even more when we win! Australia is the favourite holiday destination for New Zealanders heading overseas. We've stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Australia in many spheres, but possibly none moreso than at Gallipoli in 1915; a tragedy which defined both of the emerging nations. Even our timezones are reasonably similar.
So it makes sense to us that the New Zealand and Australian governments have a strong relationship, starting at the top. As we join our West Island neighbours in the Trans-Pacific Partnership with the United States, it is important that there is a high level of accord between our respective leaders.
This week's visit by Julia Gillard seems to have been a great success. It was fitting that the ANZAC PM's were together when news broke of the tragic death of Private Kirifi Mila in Afghanistan; Australia has suffered significant losses there as well. Ms Gillard's address to Parliament yesterday was an historic moment and, we hope, a forerunner to a new level of partnership bteween New Zealand and Australia that will benefit all off us on both sides of The Ditch.
18 comments:
Agreed.
bollocks.
kinship over historic and current slaughter of men. Awesome place to start a trade relationship.
And more spin about trade. NZ will as usual lose out in a pact with these monster economies as we have always lost out.
Santa
Trade with Australia might give people living on $194 per week a lifestyle choice greater than that which their PM believes they have.
"But it is also true that anyone on a benefit actually has a lifestyle choice." (John Key)
Key is a money man. Not a people person. He is good at bluffing. like a gambler, so has fooled the majority of NZ into thinking he is Mr Nice Guy. II despair for where this country is headed over the next few years with 'The Smiling Assassin' with his finger on the trigger.
@ Anon (9.47am) - don't you think that maximising our trade opportunities is the key to job creation and getting more people into work? The government cannot and should not create jobs because they are simply not very good at it. It is up to the government to give businesses the environment in which to prosper, so that they can be the generators of new jobs.
The National Government has been found out with its own 'hip hop' job creation stuff up so perhaps Inv2 is right.
Key looked sheepish/evasive/caught out last night on the tv news, running away from the reporter asking him about the embarrassing scheme.
I wonder if Labour will crow about the pumpkin debacle and more.?
National and the right-wing crowed about Labours hip-hop, they crowed and crowed and crowed and crowed!
Did you crow about that at the time Inv2?
@ Robert; I don't disagree with you. Nor does Cactus Kate:
http://asianinvasion2006.blogspot.com/2011/02/why-government-cannot-create-jobs.html
I guess if the left and the right agree that government "job creation schemes" do not work, by and large, then they probably don't!
I'm trying to raise the level of debate here with some serious considered thought. There doesn't seem to be a lot of that on this blog. Are you interested in joining in INV?
I have no issue with increased two-way trade with Australia. I have a huge issue with the way that guy who runs our country views those who have not made money. I am a business man and can see that right wing ideology is last century's fish and chip wrapping. The New Way is one of two stark choices. Either all out revolution by the poor to access resources that 1% of the world's inhabitants control, or a shift in the blinkered thinking of the right wing to understand that the hopeless are only hopeless because of the way society is structured. There is room for plenty of trade and plenty of helping the vulnerable. Compassion goes a lot further INV2. Surely you must agree from your Christian belief perspective? (And the 'helping those that help themselves' mantra doesn't wash. Some people are simply unable to help themselves, and it is for a civilised and just society to take care of them.)
@anon 11.20am Well said. Unfortunately you are full of shit. The left are gutter-dogs, the right will always triumph because we have the money honey. Suck on that you communist cretin. Poor people are poor because god made them that way.
Yes. I rest my case. Right wingers like you Karlos surface just at the time things get tough in a society and illustrate the nasty underbelly of your political beliefs.
@ Anon - I agree with you on the issue of compassion. I'll post something more considered later in the day when I have fulfilled my obligations to the taxman!
Keep it seemly please folks...
I like Karlos, despite his illness. His candour is refreshing, though his mother would probably cry, reading her son's sad plea for help.
I'm very intereted to hear more from 'Anonymous@11:20'. He or she is describing a New Zealand that we could all be proud of, not the fractured, deteriorating society we find ourselves in now, where people like Karlos, Rodney, Roger and Michelle are stimulated by the odour of power and money into acts that your God, Inv2, would most certainly not approve.
Let's follow his argument and see where it takes us. Much more interesting that rabbiting-on about Gillard and the set piece she and Key are presenting to the country now. The 'apple deal' btw, is not a wondrous gift Gillard has given to us, it's our due and looooooong over due. Parliament should have booed her for the disgraceful manipulations her country has used to block our apple exports, not fawned over her like dogs on heat.
My advice to people like anon, Robert Guyton and any other person who either:
1) does not like the posts that Inv does,
2) thinks they can suggest what Inv should post on,
3) thinks that the debate isn't good.....
either start your OWN blog and write about the crap you want
OR
dont bother reading the blog if you think it is so bad
OR
If you already have your own blog (Robert Guyton) use that to post about the things you think are so important.
Otherwise, STOP your whinging and whining, harden up, and just read the posts and leave comments ABOUT THE POST (rather than talking the smack that you are).
This is INV2's blog and they can write about whatever they want.
Despite what some seem to be implying in comments on this and other posts by Inv2, his/her opinion is just as valid as yours whether you agree with it or not.
So offer some real comments or go elsewhere.
@ anon 9.47am
Key not a people person?
what planet have you been on for the last few years? He is one of the most popular prime ministers in living memory. He is loved by the people who say he is a real people person and is easy to talk with and relate to (despite the fact he is prime minister)
@ GET OVER IT - appreciate your comments
get over it - pull your tongue out of dear inventions arse and grow a fucking spine man!
This blog is in the public forum - a deliberate choice by Invention obviously - and as such is open to challenge.
Go back a few months and read the comments - they'er full of "agreed" back-slaps by brainless twits like Alex Masterly and PDM. Things only got exciting when the post was sport orientated and we all know how sad sports fans are eh?!
Shit, I almost look forward to having a nosey here now.
S.
karlos - you are the reason people are abandoning organised religon in droves :) Keep it up mate, christianity needs more dicks like you.
Santa.
Get Over It - you have confused yourself with too much thinking. All of my posts here on this thread are on topic.
Take a break from your self-appointed policing of other peoples blogs and get over it!
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