Anthony Albanese is insisting Australia’s ties with New Zealand will not suffer if there is a change of government in Wellington, as the man firming to replace incumbent Chris Hipkins talks up his relationship with Australia’s prime minister.
Kiwis go to the polls in October, and National leader Christopher Luxon is showing he will be a force to be reckoned with based on current opinion polls.
Anthony Albanese and Chris Hipkins have heralded the trans-Tasman relationship as the strongest it has been in years, as they wrapped up talks in the New Zealand capital.
When asked whether the New Zealand election result would change that, Mr Albanese gave a diplomatic response in the presence of Mr Hipkins.
“I’m not going to comment on New Zealand elections except to say that I have a very good relationship with Prime Minister Hipkins and it’s been a fantastic visit,” Mr Albanese told reporters after having breakfast at a Wellington restaurant alongside the Kiwi leader.
Chris Hipkins and Anthony Albanese standing at podiums at a press conference.
“We’ll continue to cooperate on areas like climate change and the economy and together we’re stronger than as just single nations and together working with each other in the Pacific region as well is really important.”
Mr Albanese had a meeting lined up with Mr Luxon just after breaking bread with Mr Hipkins, and said it was “appropriate” to do so.
Christopher Luxon sitting in an office.
“I really respect Anthony, I think he’s off to an impressive start as a new prime minister,” NZ Opposition Leader Christopher Luxon told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
“I think we have a very positive, very strong relationship, so I just actually just see it continuing.
“We’ve talked a lot about the relationship between the two countries … but more importantly, considering what’s our role in the region … with respect to the Pacific.”
Mr Luxon said he had worked closely with Mr Albanese when he was the boss of Air New Zealand, and the now prime minister was transport minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments.
The Prime Minister’s Office argued the Australian government would work well with whoever won the New Zealand election.
On Wednesday, Mr Albanese and Mr Hipkins were questioned repeatedly as to whether they need to double their efforts to counter China’s ambition in the Pacific region.
“It’s certainly a more contested part of the world, and that’s the reality for both Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Luxon said.
“And the reality is we want to cooperate with China and want to be able to collaborate and work on things that are of mutual interest to us.
“But we also have values that we need to stand up to from time to time and we want to raise those differences with China or, frankly, any other relationship we have.”
Passport-free travel between Australia and New Zealand is still at least a year off, after talks between prime ministers Anthony Albanese and Chris Hipkins in Wellington.
On Wednesday, the joint statement from prime ministers Albanese and Hipkins cited recent developments between China and Solomon Islands.
“Prime ministers expressed concern that the implementation of the new policing agreement between China and Solomon Islands would undermine the Pacific’s agreed regional security norms, including a ‘family first’ approach to peace and security,” the statement said.
Mr Albanese and Mr Hipkins wandered a street in central Wellington, visiting a chocolate shop, a bakery and a brewery where the Australian leader pulled a beer.
Mr Hipkins presented his guest with a bag of Wellington treats, including locally distilled gin and hot sauce.
“Really it’s been a very successful visit and our fifth meeting in such a short period of time,” Mr Albanese said.
After his quick trip to Wellington, Mr Albanese has flown to Brisbane ahead of the AUSMIN talks between Australian and senior US officials.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will be in the country for the meeting with their Australian counterparts.
Mr Albanese confirmed he would meet the pair.
Secretary Blinken would be following Mr Albanese from Wellington to Brisbane, after meeting New Zealand’s prime minister and the country’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
New Zealand’s long-standing anti-nuclear policies mean the country will not join Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom in the AUKUS security and defence pact as a means to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines.
However, Secretary Blinken suggested New Zealand could become a partner in the effort to develop other technology under the agreement – something commonly referred to as ‘pillar two’ of AUKUS.
“The door’s very much open for New Zealand and other partners to engage as they see appropriate going forward,” he said.
“We’ve long worked together on the most important national security issues — and so as we further develop AUKUS, as I said, the door is open to engagement.”
