The appointment of New Zealand’s first Maori foreign minister sends a clear message about its foreign policy priorities.
History was made in Aotearoa New Zealand this week, when the newly-elected second-term Ardern Labor government swore in its first woman foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta, to the role. From the prime minister to the governor-general, New Zealand’s highest roles are held by women, and 55 percent of Labor MPs are women.
Some of the most pressing current concerns for New Zealand’s national security sit in the areas of foreign interference and counterterrorism, but it is an area of policy where Ardern, said very little in public, clearly preferring an approach where actions speak louder than words. The first term Ardern government shepherded a quiet case-by-case recalibration of the New Zealand-China relationship, claiming any legislative changes were «country agnostic,» and they managed to avoid significant retribution.
This article was written by Anne-Marie Brady
To read the full article, please click on the following link: https://thediplomat.com/2020/11/aotearoa-new-zealand-faces-the-future/
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