Trade, OEs on her agenda
Free Trade and protecting Kiwi visa rights in the United Kingdom will be high on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s agenda during quick-fire meetings with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Donald Trump in New York today.
Ardern will meet with Johnson in New York at 9.30am on Monday morning (1.30am today NZT) in a last-minute meeting, after Johnson confirmed he would be attending the annual UN leaders’ week.
Around 7am today (NZ time), Ardern will also meet with Trump.
Pushing New Zealand’s trade interests – in particular free trade agreements – will be a focus for Ardern, who described the 20-minute meetings as, ‘‘a good opportunity to further some of the goals that we have, particularly around trade’’.
The Prime Minister said that Johnson had already signalled that he was keen to get cracking on a post-Brexit trade deal.
But Ardern was cagey about how long negotiations might take, or whether a deal with the UK, or the ongoing negotiations with the European Union – an effectively protectionist trade bloc – would be prioritised.
When asked if New Zealand would try to match Australia on concluding a deal – which Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said can be done in 12 months and Stuff understands Australian officials believe can be done in nine – Ardern was noncommittal, saying she is ‘‘reluctant to go for speed over quality’’.
The Prime Minister was, however, determined to make sure the great Kiwi OE was protected – and even expanded – under a post-Brexit deal.
‘‘Protecting the ability of New Zealanders to study as skilled migrants is something that we’ve never been complacent around.’’
But a trade deal with the United States is much harder since the election of Trump.
‘‘Our trade agenda with the United States is for us to make some progress. After they pulled out of the CPTPP, that has meant that we weren’t able to pursue a free trade agenda,’’ Ms Ardern said.
Ardern is also meeting global tech giants about the anti-terror online Christchurch call initiative as well as attending several climate change events.