New Zealand Foreign Policy in the Pacific
by Joseph Veramu (joseph.veramu@outlook.com) On the Air New Zealand plane back to Fiji from Wellington in February 2019 after I attended a week-long workshop on governance and the role of non-state agencies in the Pacific anti-corruption space, I reflected critically on the Pacific and the development aid that was poured into it. My participation had been funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZMFAT) and facilitated by Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ). This article reflects on how current progressive policies are proactively shaping Pacific policy narratives and space. New Zealand’s Progressive Policies On February 27th 2018, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in her foreign policy address indicated a major shift in terms of increased support for Pacific nations. For Pacific islanders used to leaders attired in power suits and mouthing policy lines on increased GDP and trade, she was like a graceful dolphin moving symbiotically in its habi