Ardern kicks off Aussie tour at the fabled MCG
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has kick-started a week of trade and political engagements in Australia, confirming that New Zealanders’ citizenship rights and high inflation will be on the agenda for the week.
She launched her tour receiving a ‘‘welcome to country’’ – a First Australians welcome ceremony similar to a po¯ whiri – at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Ardern is leading a 31-strong trade delegation representing New Zealand’s tech sector, food producers and other Australianfocused businesses.
Ardern confirmed that both inflation and the issue of 501 deportees would continue to be top of mind in discussions with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later in the week.
In particular, Ardern said New Zealand would continue to try to keep Australian open-minded on working on the issue in the context of citizenship rights.
‘‘None of those issues can be resolved in weeks – I understand that. What I’m looking for is, you know, a commitment to keep working them through.’’
While Sydney and New South Wales are consumed by torrential rain and floods, the sun was shining in Melbourne as the trade
delegates mixed and mingled in the long room at the home of Australian Cricket and Aussie Rules football, before taking to the field for the welcome and an indigenous smoking ceremony.
Inflation is currently an issue around the globe and in New Zealand the rise in the general level of prices is 6.9%.
While Australia’s annual inflation is running at 5.1%, last quarter it hit 2.1%, which would equate to 8.4% if it continued for a year.
Ardern said it dominated discussions in Europe and would continue to do so in Australia.
‘‘Everyone’s having a comparable experience, you know – there’s no one country amongst the conversations I was having that was an outlier on this.
‘‘How do we ease the cost of living impacts while we try and navigate through?’’