10. Question No. 10—Foreign AffairsDr ANAE NERU LEAVASA (Labour—Takanini) to the Minister of Foreign AffairsQuestion No. 10—Foreign Affairs10. Dr ANAE NERU LEAVASA (Labour—Takanini) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What recent announcements has she made about supporting the COVID-19 response across the Pacific?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Foreign Affairs): We're ready to extend manaakitanga across the Pacific if and when called on during these challenging times. We've recently provided support to the Government of Papua New Guinea as they confront an outbreak of COVID-19. The New Zealand Defence Force delivered personal protective equipment (PPE) to Port Moresby last Saturday. Those kits included hand sanitiser googles biohazard bags sterilising tablets shoe covers sharps boxes infrared thermometers swabs gloves gowns surgical masks and face shields. We're also making funding available to the New Zealand High Commission in Port Moresby to respond to the needs on the ground as requested by partners in Papua New Guinea.Dr Anae Neru Leavasa: What other support has the Minister provided to support the COVID-19 response across the Pacific?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: As we observe the increased challenge of response across the Pacific we're aware that Timor-Leste has experienced its first outbreak of COVID19 in the community during the past week. To help the response to escalating health needs the New Zealand Air Force delivered four tonnes of PPE on Tuesday. We've also made emergency funding available to enable the New Zealand Embassy to respond to locally identified needs associated with the outbreak and these contributions are additional to the COVID-19 - related assistance that we provided to Timor-Leste last year which included the provision of PPE and grants for NGO initiatives to raise community awareness of the disease and reduce lockdown impacts by strengthening food security.Dr Anae Neru Leavasa: What has been the impact of COVID-19 more generally across the Pacific and what is New Zealand planning to do to support our Pacific neighbours?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Our whanaungatanga link to the Pacific means that we are particularly mindful of the economic impact of COVID-19 in the Pacific. While most of the Pacific has avoided the health impacts of the pandemic economies have been seriously damaged and development gains have been stalled by the closure of borders and the collapse of the tourism industry. There is worrying data and analysis which highlights stark economic vulnerabilities that have been heightened by COVID-19—closed borders a drop in tourism—impacting sector-dependent businesses. Declining living standards and deepening inequalities will have flow-on effects for the region's long-term resilience. Going forward we will work alongside Pacific partners to support a resilience strategy as we make further Official Development Assistance announcements in the near future.Golriz Ghahraman: Is her statement regarding the Pacific that We need to look beyond our own borders in the fight to eradicate COVID-19." consistent with the Government's decision not to support relaxing World Trade Organization (WTO) rules to enable affordable fair and equitable people's vaccine to the Pacific and globally?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Yes. We are committed to supporting the Pacific. That is why we've committed with Australia to roll out vaccines across Pacific countries. Our whanaungatanga to the Pacific reinforces our duty of care to ensure that there is the provision of vaccines across the Pacific and that's why we're working to ensure widespread coverage between us. We're still discussing the Agreement on the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver to the WTO. New Zealand is engaging in this discussion fully and we're working with countries around the world to broaden the discussion in the WTO to urgently address the manufacturing and distribution of vaccines."