NZ sets up a 24/7 US taskforce

A taskforce has been set up to provide the New Zealand Government with round-the-clock advice on Donald Trump’s administration.

The move comes in the wake of confusion relating to the United States president’s Muslim ban and its impact on some dualnationality Kiwis.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs boss took the rap for not arming Prime Minister Bill English with advice on how Kiwis who also hold citizenship from any of the seven countries falling under Trump’s controversial immigration order would be impacted.

Accordingly, a 24/7 ‘‘real-time’’ taskforce has now been set up in Wellington to deal with any Kiwi impacts related to policy reform being pumped out of the Trump administration.

MFAT chief executive Brook Barrington was blasted by Foreign Affairs Minister Murray Mccully last week for delays in confirmation that New Zealanders holding dual nationality with countries restricted to travel into the US under a recent Muslim ban would not be held up at the border.

English was criticised for taking days to respond to questions about whether the ban would affect Kiwis but Mccully blamed that on the ‘‘inadequate’’ performance of ministry officials.

Barrington told media outside the select committee yesterday, where he had been briefing MPS as part of an annual review, that he went into the meeting with Mccully with a plan to set up a 24/7 ‘‘real-time’’ taskforce operation.

‘‘I went into that meeting feeling we had fallen 24 hours behind the curve and I wasn’t very happy about that. That’s my accountability, I didn’t resource it well enough . . . I wear that, I cop that and steps have been taken to address that,’’ he said.

Not setting up the taskforce earlier in the Trump administration was something he regretted.

‘‘I didn’t set up the structures early enough to ensure we were able to provide the Government with exactly that 24/7 real-time advice.’’

Barrington said it was only 19 days into Trump’s presidency so it was too early to tell how challenging foreign diplomacy issues will be.

‘‘There are 1220 positions that need to be confirmed by the Senate. At my last count 32 of those had been nominated – not confirmed – but nominated. So all the super structure that sits underneath a new administration is not yet in place.’’

He said six or seven staff have been recruited to the taskforce in Wellington and will work ‘‘handin-hand with Washington’’.

‘‘It’s all within ministry baselines – we’re just moving people out of a role and into a role,’’ he said.

‘‘We need to make sure that when Wellington stops, Washington starts and when Washington stops, Wellington starts. So we’ve set up a taskforce and brought people out of the America division and other parts of the ministry and we’re staffing it up.’’

There are no plans at the moment to beef up the team in the US – ’’I’m absolutely confident that we have the right structure and people in place,’’ Barrington said.

Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman David Parker said the taskforce is ‘‘necessary’’ and a ‘‘good idea’’. – Fairfax NZ