Secondly, New Zealand has had a strong focus on the Pacific over recent years with John Key and Murray McCully and I was able to assure them that with a new Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs - Gerry Brownlee - that that focus would continue.
It is just great to see the way that our spending in the Pacific Islands is working, whether it's upgrading sports fields or electricity grids, or renewable energy, it is effective and having an impact.
Q: Of the three places we went to, Tonga is probably the most challenging. What is your greatest concern across the Pacific region?
A: I think we're all trying to attain economic sustainability. When you have a sustainable economy, that's where you get the jobs, the confidence and the investment. In each place they're making quite impressive progress with building their private sector, lifting tourism, getting the infrastructure in place that you need for a successful economy. There's a lot of the right kind of discussion about those issues, rather than just putting a hand out waiting for New Zealand to fix the problems.
Q: In every place we've been from Rarotonga, to Niue to the village in Tonga, you've said it reminds you of Dipton. What is up with that?
A: Ha. Look I've enjoyed the way these smaller countries and small communities work and how they succeed. I'm familiar with that from representing the far south for a long time. It's important they develop a positive attitude about how to overcome the obvious disadvantages of distance, or isolation and a small size.
I know what a challenge that is, coming from Dipton, from Southland - this feeling that people aren't really taking much notice of you.
The right response to it is self-reliance. And we're seeing more of that across these countries.
Q: You've gone through a few kava sessions now. What's the verdict?
A: Well, too much kava makes your tongue go numb. It's an experience I enjoy. Familiarity with the different versions of Pacific culture is a satisfying experience.
Q: You made a few references to Winston Peters at functions. How's the warm up to potential negotiations gone?
A: Well, look when you're out of New Zealand, Winston is one of our senior politicians and he's well known across the Pacific because he was both in a former role as Foreign Minister. These are communities where I think respect for status and longevity are important.
