Politics

The NZ Government issued its response to the Productivity Commission’s report on housing affordability. “High house prices matter because many New Zealanders spend a large portion of their incomes on housing and that has helped fuel household debt and contribute to damaging imbalances in the economy,” Finance Minister Bill English says. “In particular, high housing debt diverts money from more …

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully is off to  Papua New Guinea  to meet members of the new government, including Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato. The meetings will include discussions on Asia-Pacific regional issues, trade and investment links, aid, and political and economic developments in Papua New Guinea and Bougainville. McCully will travel to the Highlands region …

For the first time NZ Defence Force health personnel are joining their counterparts from the People’s Liberation Army China and the Australian Defence Force to build linkages around humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Seven Defence Force personnel are participating in Exercise Cooperation Spirit 2012, which is being hosted by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) from 29 October to 2 …

President Barack Obama landed a lot of punches in his foreign policy debate with Mitt Romney in Boca Raton, Florida,” says Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove. “But President Obama’s truest line of the night was when he said to Governor Romney: ‘You say you would do the same things we did but you would just say them louder.’” …

Heritage Foundation experts have submitted five questions they consider vital to the foreign policy debate: Given that the Taliban movement still poses a threat to the futures of both Afghanistan and Pakistan, how do you plan to ensure stability in the region and prevent either country from serving as a base for international terrorists intent on attacking theU.S.? Over the last …

Lowy Institute’s Dr Michael Fullilove  “At first glance, the differences between the two candidates for president of the United States in 2012, President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, are striking. Each candidate is doing his best to emphasise these differences. Most commentators have drawn sharp distinctions between the two candidates on foreign policy. Global perceptions of the two men …

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce has welcomed the establishment of the New Zealand India Research Institute, heralding the start of a closer research relationship between New Zealand and India.  The New Zealand India Research Institute will be administratively based at Victoria University in Wellington and will involve nearly 40 academics in five New Zealand universities – Victoria, …

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today congratulated Australia, together with Luxembourg, Korea, Argentina and Rwanda, on their election to non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. “I have congratulated Foreign Minister Carr on a well-fought campaign, which Australia thoroughly deserved to win,” McCully says. “New Zealand looks forward to working closely with Australia during its two-year tenure on the …

The Maori Council will today file papers in the High Court seeking a judicial review of the government’s plan to sell down Mighty River Power. Council solicitor Donna Hall told Radio New Zealand the case is that the government “is acting illegally in proceeding to sell the shares” before establishing what prior rights Maori have. “There’s now a final decision …

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will hold official talks with his counterpart from Burma (Myanmar), Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, on Monday. Mr Lwin is visiting New Zealand as part of his country’s increasing international engagement since embarking on fundamental political and economic reforms a year ago. “New Zealand is greatly encouraged by the nature and scale of the reforms …