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Since 2004, Ministers, senior business representatives, academics and public sector and other community leaders from Australia and New Zealand have met annually at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum.
The fifth Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum was held in Wellington in June 2008, and attended by senior government ministers, business, media, academic and public sector representatives from both sides of the Tasman Sea.
The Leadership Forum plays a major role in bringing together key stakeholders from business, government, academia, and the media to sustain and invigorate the relationship, and to explore its future development.
The Forum was co-chaired by business leaders John Allen (New Zealand) and Rod McGeoch (Australia). Topics discussed included political and economic ties, climate change, changing demographics, trade and strategic issues affecting the two countries.
New Zealand and Australia work together very closely across a broad range of foreign, trade, aid, and security policy issues to promote shared interests, and to maximise our impact regionally and internationally.
At the political level, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard led a large Australian delegation including six government ministers.
New Zealand’s ministerial delegation included Deputy Prime Minister Dr Michael Cullen, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Trade Minister Phil Goff.
Prime Minister Helen Clark made a speech to the official Leadership Forum dinner at Government House:
As part of the programme, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the National War Memorial.
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs supported the Leadership Forum in its capacity as forum secretariat.
For further information, see Minister Peters’ media release announcing the Forum [beehive.govt.nz].
For photos of Forum sessions see our Photo Gallery
