Prime Minister, New Zealand
NZ Herald Live: PM Christopher Luxon speaks on Brisbane visit
PM Christopher Luxon speaks on Brisbane visit
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About Christopher Luxon
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been focused on managing New Zealand's response to the Middle East fuel crisis, which he described as a volatile and unpredictable situation. He has provided regular updates on fuel stock levels, stating that New Zealand has sufficient supply and remains at phase one of the national fuel response plan. Luxon also outlined the government's framework for providing "timely, targeted, temporary support" for the most vulnerable, while acknowledging the government cannot alleviate pressure for everyone. He has emphasized the need to avoid the "mistakes of COVID" by not using a "cash bazooka" that would lead to long-term pain. Luxon has also highlighted the signing of a free trade agreement with India, calling it a "once-in-a-generation deal" that will lead to more jobs and higher incomes. In his Budget Day speech, he criticized the Labour opposition for advocating to "spend more, tax more, borrow more," and defended his government's record of finding $50 billion in savings and forecasting a surplus a year earlier than previously forecast. On foreign policy, Luxon reaffirmed New Zealand's one-China policy and its nuclear-free position, while noting that backbench MPs have long been free to accept invitations to travel to Taiwan. He also discussed the need to double defense spending, citing 30 years of underinvestment and a shift to a more strategically competitive global environment.
Transcript (41 segments)
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
R
Reporter0:05
Yeah, cool. All good on my end, everyone. Prime Minister, first of all, just want to get your thoughts on the Taiwan situation and the fact that Australia has come into bat for New Zealand in that regard.
C
Christopher Luxon0:14
Oh, look, you know, we appreciate the support, but at the end of the day, it's an issue between New Zealand and China. As I said yesterday, the challenge here is that these are backbench MPs which don't represent the executive government. They've been on a trip to Taiwan, which has been a long-standing tradition. They are free to see who they want to see. As a result, we think it's entirely inappropriate the reaction that we've seen from the Chinese. We will raise that with them ourselves. Of course, there has been no change whatsoever to our one China policy and that continues to be observed.
R
Reporter0:41
You say that your influence is stronger together though on the world stage, right? Doesn't it... isn't the good thing that Australia...
C
Christopher Luxon0:47
It's a fine thing, but at the end of the day, this is a nation to nation issue between New Zealand and China. I appreciate the support from the Australians, but I'm just underscoring that it's an issue that we will raise with the Chinese directly.
R
Reporter0:57
So, will you be discussing the Australian countries today?
C
Christopher Luxon1:02
No, it's not a... it's a New Zealand issue with China and so we will deal with it in the way that we will deal with any other state issues. We appreciate the support. But the point is, I'm just saying to you from yesterday, we had a situation that we talked about. We'll raise it with the Chinese directly ourselves.
R
Reporter1:18
What will you say to them? What will you say to China for that?
C
Christopher Luxon1:21
Well, just point out that nothing's changed in our one China policy. We're observing our one China policy, continue to do so. There has been no change whatsoever. There has been a long-standing tradition of visits like this. Backbench MPs who don't represent the executive government but represent the legislature should be able to talk to whoever they wish to. And so this is quite an appropriate response to that action which has been a long-standing one.
R
Reporter1:44
There's been another statement from the Chinese embassy today on the Five Eyes issue. Are you across that?
C
Christopher Luxon1:50
Yeah, look, I mean, we just... the NZSIS along with other Five Eyes intelligence agencies are just reminding people who have access to sensitive information that they could be targeted through social media platforms like LinkedIn. We expect all those people who have access to sensitive and restricted information to keep that to themselves and not be inadvertently revealing stuff.
R
Reporter2:12
China saying that accusation from spy is ironic when you say that.
C
Christopher Luxon2:18
Well, I'm just saying to you, we support the statement that we've made as Five Eyes partners.
R
Reporter2:21
Do you think China is flexing them forward? But Neil's had two statements on the sanctions on MPs. What do you make of that?
C
Christopher Luxon2:27
No, we just... we have said to China where we have disagreements, we'll call that out publicly or privately, predictably and consistently. We've done it when we felt there was an attack on our parliamentary systems. We've done it in conjunction with other Five Eyes partners today as a warning to people who hold sensitive information to be careful and to make sure that they are not inadvertently being targeted with the information they may be sharing on social media platforms. I think that's two separate issues.
R
Reporter2:53
Prime Minister, you're meeting with the premier this afternoon. What are you guys going to be discussing?
C
Christopher Luxon2:57
Yeah, look, I mean Queensland is a really important state for New Zealand in its own right. It's a similar sized economy. We've got 200,000 Kiwis that live here and call it home. And I think the biggest single event in 2032 with the Olympics being held here is going to be quite transformative for our region. It's going to bring huge attention to Australia and New Zealand. The reason I met with the 2032 Olympic Committee was to make the case for why New Zealand infrastructure firms could participate and help build out a huge amount of infrastructure that is needed. I think there are 17 new sports venues that need to be developed here as well. And again, that's a good chance for me to have good relationships with premiers across the different states, which I always do.
R
Reporter3:45
The president talks about immigration setting changes. How open are you to that to come over to help contribute to the bill?
C
Christopher Luxon3:56
Look, I mean we weren't talking about it in that context. We were talking about the fact that there is a massive amount of infrastructure being built in Australia and in Queensland in particular. And they've got a huge workforce challenge as they do that. So it was more about how they will meet that, actually get people trained up, get people able to come in and work on the projects that are here. So that's a decision for them. But for us, we want to be involved in having New Zealand companies have access to participate in and partner and build out some of the infrastructure.
R
Reporter4:31
He certainly raised immigration and referenced that movement with that back on both sides of the Tasman and he pointed to how student visas work. So how you could come over for a year and potentially get extensions based on a particular project. Would you be open to opening that up a bit more to allow more people to come over to help?
C
Christopher Luxon4:49
Well, we were having a discussion about the huge workforce that's going to be needed to deliver the projects here in Queensland. It wasn't in the context of necessarily New Zealanders coming out to build it. Obviously there are New Zealand companies that are here that have offices, that have staff, and Kiwis that may well come over.
R
Reporter5:08
You would be open to relaxing immigration?
C
Christopher Luxon5:10
Oh look, no, not at this point in time. There is no proposal on the table. This is very early days, this committee's just formed. It's important that, as I said, I'm the first prime minister to have a chance to meet with them, and that's very deliberate because I want to signal very strongly that we've got great New Zealand building and construction firms that can help do the build out here.
R
Reporter5:29
Acknowledging early days for the committee, the president did note that they'd only had a couple of New Zealand businesses sort of register interest so far. I mean, what do you make of that? And do you want to see them advertising to New Zealanders?
C
Christopher Luxon5:44
The way it works, actually we discussed that in our private meeting, is that there are a lot more New Zealand companies that have registered interest. They do it through an Australian business number because they've got an affiliate here as well. So it's a combination of both that is actually in that mix. But we plan to bring a delegation of building construction firms here into Queensland so they actually understand the opportunity that's here and to help make those connections as well. And that was one of the great actions we had after the meeting.
R
Reporter6:09
What kind of businesses do you actually see have an opportunity?
C
Christopher Luxon6:15
Yeah, you've got to understand, when you think about countries that have held the Olympics before, France most recently is a good case in point. You've got LA coming up next, California is the fifth biggest economy in the world in its own right. And when you hit Queensland, you've got a relatively small population, they've got a massive infrastructure build to go, and so there are opportunities everywhere in the procurement process. Even just in the Olympic committee and what they will want to procure, whether it's ticketing systems, but then when you get into the infrastructure piece, you think about our engineering firms, our construction firms, our architectural firms, design firms. There's a whole bunch of opportunity here. And the bigger opportunity is frankly also to put a showcase on the tourism proposition in Australia, New Zealand, and also within the Pacific. And so that's also what we're thinking about with the broader benefits to the region.
R
Reporter7:10
Prime Minister, given the economic turbulence globally right now, how important are partnerships like this between New Zealand and Australia, particularly in relation to the Olympics?
C
Christopher Luxon7:19
Yeah, look, really important. I believe, you've seen us respond, talk very openly about financial discipline being a really key part and pillar of national security. And that's why it's very important that we get our own books in order here in New Zealand. But of course, where there are opportunities for growth that lift prosperity and create opportunities for people, whether that be through tourists coming into our respective countries, whether it be about our building construction firms being able to undertake contracts here, that's all very positive. So it's about how do we drive economic growth in both countries through events like this. And that's what I wanted to signal by coming to meet with that committee and also meet with the premier later on.
R
Reporter7:58
How much of a priority the Pacific is to New Zealand, how we try not to be freeloaders. Would the New Zealand government be open to putting more New Zealanders on the ground in a place like this, put some more funding towards strengthening the numbers here?
C
Christopher Luxon8:13
Yeah, look, we have very strong bilateral relationships as you know over many years. Some of you with me have seen the Fijian drug program that we've supported, a whole bunch of work on transnational organized crime. We did as we went through Tonga and Samoa just recently as well. So we've got long-standing bilateral relationships, but of course we want to continue to support this Pacific policing initiative as well.
R
Reporter8:36
You came out really clearly this week and quickly on comments around August reaffirming that. Chris has also made similar podcast so this week wasn't the first time that he had that discussion. Have you had a chat with him about this position?
C
Christopher Luxon8:55
I'm unaware of the podcast. He and I certainly had a chat over the weekend. As I said, he didn't communicate as clearly as he possibly could have, and he would freely admit that as well. But the bottom line, as I said earlier in the week, is there's no way we're changing any of our nuclear-free position while I'm prime minister. Absolutely.
R
Reporter9:12
In terms of that conversation, did you ask why he thinks there should be a conversation?
C
Christopher Luxon9:16
No, I'm not going into details of the conversation. It generally was the fact that he didn't express himself as clearly as he could have, as I said at the time. But the key thing is that, as he noted in the front end of his remarks as well, there's no change to our nuclear-free position.
R
Reporter9:31
So whether that was a case of bad advice or whether he just made it...
C
Christopher Luxon9:36
Oh look, I don't know. He just didn't communicate as well as he could have. He did upfront acknowledge that there is no change to our nuclear-free position, and I just want to reiterate that, which I've done very strongly in the beginning part of the week, which is there will be no change.
R
Reporter9:50
Is it realistic though to not have a conversation about this given those subs are going to be here in the...
C
Christopher Luxon9:56
They'll be here. They first get their subs in the mid-2040s. They are delivered out in the 2050s and 2060s.
R
Reporter10:03
So there will be a conversation at some point.
C
Christopher Luxon10:05
No, I didn't say that. I didn't say that at all. I said those subs are delivered in Australia in the 2040s. But also the Australians and our partners understand our nuclear-free position and I have articulated that here in Australia when I came over here on one of my first prime ministerial visits. And there's no change in the position. It's as simple as that, and they understand that and their partners understand that.
R
Reporter10:28
No, no, no. I want to be an army officer when I was five, but not a police officer. But I've had two uncles of mine who were in the police force in New Zealand for a long period of time. And it's a great organization. Most important thing is our New Zealand Police Force know that they've now got a government that's backing them because we're all about restoring law and order and we're on the side of victims, not offenders. Okay, thanks. All right.