Radhakrishnan PriyancaPRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour): Thank you Madam Chair. Can I begin by actually commending Simon O'Connor the chair of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee for the collegial nature in which members work across that select committee. I had joined the select committee only sort of halfway through last year so this is the first opportunity that I get to speak to some of the work that we learnt through the annual review process. I want to also begin by noting that the select committee thanked Dr Brook Barrington who was the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) who was appointed to the role in 2015. When he presented to the select committee he was leaving very soon after his presentation to us. I do however want to begin by addressing a point that was raised by the Hon Todd McClay who talked about some of the concerns that some members—namely Opposition members—on the select committee raised with regard to perceived concern from their point of view regarding the difference in language that was used with regards specifically to China by the different departments that were involved in it. Well actually what came out through the annual review process was that there was no concern on Dr Barrington's part at all and although members opposite were trying to rather pointedly lead discussion and conversation to get to a point where perhaps they thought some concern would be expressed none was expressed whatsoever. That was the same outcome I guess when members opposite tried to talk about—oh I've just found the bit that I was looking for: the wording of the defence policy statement regarding China. I quote The Secretary said he did not believe there was any tension between [the] departments regarding their view[s] on China." and he in fact went on to outline quite a robust process that happens between departments and there was no need for concern that officials were being pushed in a certain direction as the Hon Todd McClay alleges. That also goes into some of the ministerial visits that were brought up as areas of concern by members opposite on the select committee with regard to China and again I quote from the select committee report: "The Secretary added that the Chinese would make it clear if they did not want a meeting. He indicated that there have been no 'alarming signals' about the state of the relationship with China." So I believe that was put to rest very effectively by the Secretary during the annual review process. I do also want to go on to some of the fine work that Dr Barrington talked about in terms of the Government's focus on the Pacific for example with the Pacific reset. There was a reset in terms of regional relationships that has been characterised really by greater engagement with countries in the South Pacific the focus of which of course is to do our bit to ensure that we build prosperity stability and resilience amongst some of our closest neighbours our Pacific nations that we work very closely with; also to grow and magnify our influence and impact in the region that of course we are also part of; and to conduct relations in a manner that is more respectful and in partnership and actually led by the Pacific nations that we work with. That came out quite strongly during the annual review process as well. The Secretary Dr Barrington highlighted the existential threats that are posed by climate change to our closest neighbours in the Pacific as well and talked about some of the work-related schemes that MFAT has launched in terms of a land reclamation project; legal work to determine which State owns the continental shelf for example in international law; and research work with local NGOs in the Pacific to determine how women and disabled people will be affected by climate change. Also just very quickly in the time that I have remaining I want to touch on the Trade for All project as well because again the Hon Todd McClay talked about the fact that we shouldn't just focus on ensuring that we talk to New Zealanders but actually that's really important when we negotiate trade agreements and trade rules. So in addition to the external work that MFAT is doing there is a focus on ensuring there's buy-in from New Zealanders as well and that was brought up as something that was important. Thank you Madam Chair."