22 Apr 2021

NZ, Aust govt ministers to discuss Pacific

6:08 pm on 22 April 2021

New Zealand's Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio and his Australian counterpart Senator Zed Seselja will meet in Auckland tomorrow.

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Aupito William Sio Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Senator Seselja is from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and has a strong interest in labour mobility so he is expected to reveal how this can help the Pacific's economic recovery post-Covid 19.

Aupito and Senator Seselja's get-together follows their foreign ministers' Nanaia Mahuta and Marise Payne meeting today.

The discussions had centred around the issue of 501 deportees and the Five Eyes matters.

The meetings are the first face-to-face ministerial talks betwen the two countries since the Covid-19 pandemic shut the borders.

The Australians were earlier welcomed to Aotearoa at the Beehive in Wellington.

Marise Payne will meet New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tomorrow.