Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum
Wellington, 13-14 June 2008
The Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum is a business-led initiative designed to further develop Australia and New Zealand's bilateral relationship as well as our joint relations in the region. It brings together Ministers and leaders from business, government, academia and the public sector to create an independent platform for thinking about the Australia New Zealand relationship. The Forum was endorsed by then Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and his then New Zealand counterpart, Hon Phil Goff, in June 2002. The Forum is chaired by the private sector, with Rod McGeoch AM LLB (Chairman, Sky City Entertainment Group Limited) and John Allen (CEO, New Zealand Post) co-chairing the Forum's fifth meeting in Wellington in June 2008. The inaugural Forum was held in Wellington May 2004.
A very successful fifth Forum meeting was held at the Museum Hotel in Wellington, 13-14 June 2007. There was high-level Australian and New Zealand participation, including the largest Australian ministerial delegation yet.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard led a panel of six Australian Ministers in the opening session of the Forum on the topic of “Priorities for the New Australian Government”. Trade Minister Simon Crean and his New Zealand counterpart Mr Goff gave a joint presentation on the trade policy outlook for Australia and New Zealand, incorporating Closer Economic Relations, Trade Policy Achievements and the Doha Round.
The Forum also heard from expert speakers on a range of topics, including priorities for the Single Economic Market; the carbon challenge; demographic trends in Australasia; and strategic issues facing Australia and New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific. Discussions were also held on competition, taxation, security, education and investment related issues.
The 2009 Forum is scheduled to be held in Sydney in August.
- The 2007 Forum was held in Sydney on 22-23 April 2007