Flying New Zealand flag overseas . . .

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

The naysayers who bemoan our politicians travelling around the world on the taxpayer dollar should consider the upshots of those trips.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon leading a business delegation to Singapore, Trade Minister Todd McClay plying our business in China, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters addressing the United Nations and meeting with US officials and Finance Minister Nicola Willis joining with a high-level business group in Washington DC are all for the good of our country.

Luxon, McClay, Peters and Willis did not fly overseas to enjoy the sun and surf, quaff wine and enjoy the local delicacies. They are in Asia and the US striking relationship and trade deals with administrations whose large economies present huge opportunities for New Zealand.

They are there to remind the world that New Zealand is open for business, and there’s no better way to show that than to do it kanohi ki te kanohi — face-to-face.

When Māori do business, whether it’s with other Māori or Pākehā, it is important to make eye contact and it’s the same for high-level engagements on the world stage.  Sitting on a laptop conversing over a Zoom call is not going to cut it. Our MPs don’t have to hongi their international counterparts when they meet them, though we wouldn’t mind if they gave it a go and really took that extra little bit of New Zealand with them.

It’s a fallacy that MPs love travelling the world. Yes, they presumably fly business class and have a better chance of some kip on the plane than most of us might, but they probably aren’t watching the latest Tom Cruise film with their feet up, a glass of whisky in hand while they await the cabin crew to serve them a tartiflette.

The amount of research and reading MPs must do before getting on a plane for such meetings is daunting but must be done. Their teams, consisting of secretaries, ministerial advisers and press secretaries, must provide their minister with up-to-the-minute information on any and all matters that may arise on that trip as well as background information on who they are meeting, cultural protocols and likely the odd bit of local lingo to throw into the conversation.

Any journalist who has formed part of the travel entourage will attest that the delegation works from sun up to sun down, doing their best to represent our islands on the world stage and to create trade opportunities for New Zealand businesses.

There’s really not much time for shopping or sightseeing — it’s work, work plus more work.

To the political team flying the New Zealand flag overseas, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa — thank you all very much. Now, back to business.