Aussie brunch Ardern’s first trip
Jacinda Ardern will travel to Australia as her first official overseas trip as Prime Minister.
Ardern heads to Sydney on Sunday for a brunch meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who she has never met.
After becoming prime ministerdesignate, Ardern said she planned to travel to Australia as soon as possible, following rocky relations between the two countries in recent months.
During the lead up to the election, Ardern said she was prepared to retaliate and charge Australian students international student fees if Australia did not improve its treatment of Kiwis living there.
Ardern said that was ‘‘an ongoing issue that I will continue to raise, as have past prime ministers’’.
‘‘The trans-Tasman relationship is New Zealand’s most important,’’ Ardern said yesterday.
‘‘Our economies are among the most integrated in the world, with strong trade, people and investment flows. And we are stronger together on the international stage.’’
Before the election, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Labour’s conduct over the Barnaby Joyce citizenship saga was ‘‘wrong, unacceptable, should never have happened’’, and said she would find it difficult to build a trusting relationship with a Labour-led government.
Ardern indicated she would not meet Bishop on Sunday, saying said there was only time for brunch with Turnbull. But she was open to meeting Bishop when possible.
‘‘I have no concerns about that and it’s likely to happen, I am sure, soon.’’
She was looking forward to the opportunity to meet with Turnbull to establish a close working relationship, she said.
‘‘As well as taking stock of the trans-Tasman relationship, this will be an opportunity to discuss the upcoming APEC and East Asia summits, as well as other international issues.’’
She said APEC and the TransPacific Partnership 11 would be items of ‘‘considerable discussion’’ particularly because both her and Turnbull head to APEC so soon after the meeting.
Ardern leaves for the summit at the end of next week.