Penny Wong says Australia has “a lot to learn” from New Zealand
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said the country has “a lot to learn” from New Zealand when it comes to indigenous foreign policy.
Wong met with New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, at Parliament in Wellington for their first official bilateral talks since the new Australian government came into power under Anthony Albanese, as reported by the NZ Herald.
The pair spoke at length in their private meeting, covering climate change, issues in the Pacific, Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Pacific Islands forum next month, and working together on Indigenous-based foreign policy.
Wong’s visit to Parliament began with a traditional pōwhiti ceremonial welcome, led by mana whenua Te Āti Awa (one of New Zealand’s Awa tribes).
Mana whenua and Mahuta’s side of the room sang Purea Nei, with Wong and her Australian delegation responding with E Toru Ngā Mea.
Wong described the experience of being welcomed as “very moving”.
“It’s an act of respect and honour, you feel the power of that. Being welcomed into someone’s land, you feel the importance,” she said.
Wong said one of the main reasons she sought to work in her current role was to be part of a government that implemented the Uluru Statement of the Heart, which calls for constitutional change to give Indigenous Australians representation in Parliament and a Makarta Commission for treaty making and truth telling.
She said she appreciated learning on the topic from Mahuta - who is of the Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Manu iwi (tribes) - who has a “depth of personal wisdom”.
Having read Mahuta’s statements and speeches, Wong said she found the use of Māori concepts “extraordinarily powerful”.
“We can learn a lot from your country,” Wong said.
“We are a modern, multicultural, diverse nation and we have the privilege of one of the oldest continuing cultures on Earth.
“And we should integrate that much more into how we engage with the world and how we talk to and with the world and about ourselves.”
The pair went on to discuss tensions in the Pacific region, stemming from a security pact signed by the Solomon Islands with China in March, with Wong noting that previous governments hadn’t done enough in the region.
She pledged to “do more” for the “Pacific family” and said Australia’s partnership with New Zealand was “indispensable”.
“We know we can always rely on each other,” she said.
“We’re allies, we’re friends, and we’re partners in the region and the world that, as the minister said, is experiencing a much sharper set of challenges.”
When the topic of the controversial 501 deportation policy arose, Wong gave no further information besides saying that Mr Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had discussed the issue when they met in Sydney.
“We understand the concerns have been raised. We’ll take those into consideration,” Wong said.
After their meeting, Wong will be meeting with the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers in the Solomon Islands, while Mahuta will travel to Rwanda to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
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