KEY POINTS:
Trade Minister Phil Goff will take on Winston Peters' job when the Commonwealth foreign ministers meet to discuss what further steps should be taken against Fiji in New York later this month.
The Commonwealth foreign ministers will meet on September 27 to discuss developments in Fiji following Commodore Frank Bainimarama's backdown from his promise to hold elections by March.
Prime Minister Helen Clark took over as acting foreign minister after Mr Peters stood down because of a Serious Fraud Office investigation into donations to his party.
However, she has delegated the first major overseas mission since then - the New York Commonwealth foreign ministers meeting - to Phil Goff so she can concentrate on the election campaign.
A spokesman said it was uncertain who would attend a separate Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting on September 24, but the Prime Minister would not go.
Mr Goff said he will be in the United States earlier that week for trade talks with P4 trade partners - Singapore, Chile and Brunei - and the US, which he said had shown an interest in being included in the P4 group.
"I'm not particularly keen on travelling this close to the election, but continuing to push towards getting a free trade agreement with the US is important."
A press statement from the Commonwealth said the foreign ministers action group will review developments in Fiji and consider "further steps" to encourage its return to democracy.
The Commonwealth suspended Fiji in December 2006 and last month the Pacific Islands Forum leaders unanimously agreed to consider suspending Fiji if it did not re-commit to the March elections by the end of this year.
Mr Goff said he would continue to push New Zealand's position that elections should be held by March.
"We will be looking for both the Commonwealth and United Nations to give their backing to the Pacific Islands Forum position."
Commodore Bainimarama did not attend the forum, but criticised the decision and threatened to withdraw from it. He said Fiji should be able to set its own time for elections and electoral reform was needed before that could happen.
He has also hit out at Mr Peters just before the forum, saying he took a "dogmatic hostile and unco-operative approach towards Fiji".
Phil Goff said he would deliver the same message as Mr Peters had: "We will be saying exactly the same thing. It's the Government's position."
Mr Goff will also attend a memorial service for his nephew US Army Captain Matthew Ferrara who was killed in Afghanistan in November. Mr Goff said his nephew was posthumously being awarded a Silver Star - America's third-highest award for bravery - because of his role in an engagement a few weeks before he was killed.
