That Mahuta’s appointment blindsided people speaks volumes about the way foreign policy is discussed in Aotearoa, write Erin Matariki Carr and Phoebe Matariki Carr of NZ Alternative. The appointment of Nanaia Mahuta as foreign minister should not have come as any surprise. There is no Labour MP with more ministerial experience. She’s been an MP … Read more
From re-engaging with the Paris Agreement to reducing tensions with China, there are a number of things New Zealand will be hoping to see from the US under a President Joe Biden, writes Stephen Jacobi. The American people have spoken. America’s “better angels” have prevailed. We all hope for better times ahead, but, while there … Read more
Joe Biden’s victory presents an opportunity to reset the White House agenda and put it on a different course. Three scholars discuss what a Biden presidency may have in store in three key areas: race, the Supreme Court and foreign policy. Racism, policing and Black Lives Matter protests Brian Purnell, Bowdoin College The next four … Read more
As the first Māori woman to hold one of our government’s most pre-eminent posts, the appointment of Nanaia Mahuta to Minister of Foreign Affairs evoked mixed reactions. However, it’s a role she’s prepared for longer than you think, writes Carrie Stoddart-Smith for RNZ. For many, her appointment signalled the advancement of the progressive and inclusive … Read more
Our early success against Covid-19 was lauded the world over. If we want to continue to provide leadership, we need to reinvigorate our approach to foreign affairs, writes Nina Hall. With our borders largely closed, you could be forgiven for thinking that international affairs should take a back seat for a few months. But New … Read more
The government has proactively released a whole bunch of Covid-19-related documents. Alex Braae has been trawling through them to bring you the highlights. The last time a whole lot of Covid-19 papers were released, it was controversial. They came out late on Friday afternoon, and seemed to be a case of overwhelming the nation’s journalists … Read more
With Ardern and New Zealand in headlines for what promises to be a successful elimination strategy, we have an opportunity to use that influence in international relations, write Nina Hall, Max Harris, Evelyn Marsters, Thomas Nash and Arama Rata of New Zealand Alternative. The international praise of Jacinda Ardern’s response to Covid-19 means that New … Read more
Winston Peters’ weak statement on the US assassination of a Iranian military commander is a craven display of fealty to Donald Trump, argues former Green MP Keith Locke. How can New Zealand claim to have an independent foreign policy when it won’t even criticise America’s assassination of Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian leader? The furthest … Read more
Might PM Jacinda Ardern’s visit to Beijing have meant more to China than we in New Zealand realise? Former Washington Post Beijing bureau chief John Pomfret, who is currently visiting New Zealand, thinks we have misunderstood the importance of the trip. The recent tensions between China and New Zealand were almost always framed in terms … Read more
New Zealand is underprepared for Indonesia’s rapid economic growth, and our nearest Asian neighbour is a potential close friend, writes Jordan King Ask a New Zealander to discuss Indonesia and you may get a response about Bali, Bintangs, or perhaps West Papua or The Act of Killing. Or you might get no response at all. … Read more
As China sends abstract signals about its unhappiness with New Zealand, there are some concrete steps that Jacinda Ardern’s government can take, writes Robert Ayson of the Victoria University of Wellington Centre for Strategic Studies. At the height of the Cold War, western intelligence agencies overanalysed who was standing next to whom at Red Square parades … Read more
The PM has attracted attention because she talks – and does – politics differently. Yet there has been little debate domestically about what exactly New Zealand should prioritise on the international stage, write Nina Hall and Max Harris of the New Zealand Alternative Jacinda Ardern stands out on the international stage. In an era of poisonous xenophobia … Read more
New Zealand Alternative – a new, open organisation – seeks to challenge the orthodoxy, starting with a call to establish an independent Conflict Prevention Unit. Co-founder Thomas Nash explains Marking 100 years since the guns fell silent at the end of World War One, Foreign Minister Winston Peters represented New Zealand at the Paris Peace Forum … Read more
We must never be afraid to stand up against undue influence, writes Anne-Marie Brady, the NZ academic whose publications about China led, she believes, to break-ins at her home and office Earlier this week America’s public radio NPR published a major feature which identified New Zealand and Australia as “Ground Zero For Chinese Influence”. The … Read more
A new study by human rights activist Maire Leadbeater looks at New Zealand’s reluctance to do anything to halt the crimes against humanity in our Pacific neighbor, West Papua. A few years ago I wrote about New Zealand’s betrayal of the people of East Timor during the 24 years they suffered under brutal military rule … Read more
Journalist, broadcaster and former member of the press gallery Guyon Espiner analyses New Zealand’s foreign policy, and how it must look to outsiders, in the first of a new fortnightly column for RNZ. To outsiders New Zealand foreign policy must look like a riddle wrapped in a mystery, perhaps clear only to the enigmatic deputy prime … Read more