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PEN members met on Tuesday 23 September at the offices of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts. The morning event was planned to enable members to contribute to scheduled activities and directions in 2015. Having the result of the recent General Election at hand also provided a basis on which the future activities could be viewed. The meeting focussed on... Keep Reading

With the General Election rhetoric reaching fever pitch on issues that mean little to the economic future of the country, we might reflect on the score card for export performance in the Government's Business Growth Agenda. We think this is very important as exports to Pacific destinations make a major contribution to current and future... Keep Reading

An interesting item by Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the WTO was recently published in the Sydney Morning Herald. The stalled Trans Pacific Partnership trade negotiations and Australia's latest free trade agreements with Japan and Korea don't impress Pascal Lamy. Mr Lamy has dismissed them as agreements of the past. “Look at the... Keep Reading

The recently released budget paid little attention to the urgent need to help exporters, other than more cash being given to NZTE to help our exporters develop “Emerging” markets. Nothing of any value was directed toward our Pacific exporters. Keep Reading

We have been following some the recent progress of FTA's especially what the Australians trumpeted as a break through agreement with Japan in early April. While many smiles were present at the signing ceremony commentators in Australia are querying the likely impact of the agreement on its farming sector. There is a realisation that net... Keep Reading

It has been announced that Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully travelled to Fiji on 14 February to chair a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group (MCG). The Minister states that the MCG is the Pacific's primary vehicle for engaging with Fiji on elections progress. It will meet with a range of government and... Keep Reading

This letter appeared in the Dominion Post on 13 February 2014: 'This year we'll commemorate the outbreak of World War 1, the Battle of Monte Cassino and the gallant Warsaw Uprising in 1944. However, it is unlikely New Zealander's will hear of the 70th anniversary of Operation Squarepeg, the sizure of the Green Islands on 15 February 1944 by... Keep Reading

The Network has a vision to play a constructive role in working toward doubling the current level of merchandise exports and the trade surplus with Pacific Island countries within 5 years. This is a very bold statement. It is linked to the aim of the Gov... Keep Reading

The network welcomes the 12 September media announcement from the Minister of Foreign Affairs that Cabinet had agreed to a programme of electoral assistance and the easing of some sanctions in Fiji to support progress toward elections next year. The Fiji response was reported in the Fiji Sun on 13 September by Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Minister of Fore Keep Reading

The Pacific region is on New Zealand's front doorstep. Today we are a Pacific nation with a large Polynesian population. Over many years Pacific Island countries have sourced imports of food and services from New Zealand. Currently trade is very much in New Zealand's favour. Remittances and aid tend to balance the books. By growing our exports to.. Keep Reading

The Network invites you to a luncheon event which features John Hayes MP for Wairarapa. John is Parliamentary Private Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Chairperson of Parliament's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee. We have asked John to share his extensive knowledge of the Pacific and its export opportunities with us. He will touc Keep Reading