in office, but for bringing her newborn baby to the U.N. General Assembly last September. Ardern has also attracted attention for her emphasis on kindness in politics — a sharp contrast to the combative, divisive tactics embraced by right-wing populist parties that have attacked immigrants and minorities. “In New Zealand, Ardern’s commitment to fighting child poverty and homelessness has come as a relief after years of relentless increases in both,” wrote Helen Clark, Ardern’s predecessor, in a recent essay for Foreign Policy. Among other policies, Clark praised Ardern for passing a family tax package that’s forecast to significantly reduce child poverty by 2021; offering refuge for 150 refugees stranded in Australia-run detention camps; and ending new permits for oil and gas exploration in New Zealand’s waters in an effort to combat climate change. Banks said these policies are part of an overall push to adopt a “well-being” budget for 2019 that, unlike traditional economic indicators, factors in quality of life and the environment. Banks said that slashing child poverty — which the prime minister has pledged to cut by half over the next decade — will be one of the main pillars of the budget, along with improving living standards; reducing domestic violence; lifting the economic performance of Māori and Pacifica peoples because they lag behind the national average; and addressing climate change. On that note, Banks said climate change is a critical issue for New Zealand and the Pacific island region as a whole given its exposure to extreme weather events. For example, she noted that New Zealand recently experienced severe bush fires in an area where none had ever broken out before. “The pattern of drought and relief from drought is also changing and speeding up — in other words more frequent drought. And all the messages to the farming community are to become more resilient, to look at better ways of water management and pasture management. So there is definitely a built-in assumption that we’re going to have to deal with more of this.” The island nation is also instituting a raft of other ambitious initiatives. It already relies heavily on renewables and is committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner. There’s also a plan to plant 1 billion trees over the next decade to sequester carbon emissions. “So the focus of the government is both trying to suck up some of the carbon that we’re producing while at the same time trying to reduce it,” Banks said. “We’re also very active in climate change research in agriculture,” she added, noting that New Zealand began a global alliance of around 60 agriculture-producing countries, including the U.S., to tackle the issue. “And we’re looking at different sectors of agriculture that produce greenhouse gases, everything from livestock to rice paddies, and trying to work together and have our scientists well connected to find solutions because agricultural is a big area that’s difficult to address. “We have been loud proponents of more vigorous, more rapid international action for decades now. So it’s both a concern for ourselves and our near neighbors.” While most countries are moving forward on their commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Paris climate change agreement, one country is noticeably absent from the effort: America. Banks said that despite President Trump’s withdrawal from the landmark accord, her government continues to work with the U.S. at the state level to coordinate not only on climate change, but also other issues such as housing and transportation. “Most of your states are bigger than our country,” said Banks, who had just completed a visit to California to visit with that state’s Environmental Protection Agency. “California’s economy is bigger than the U.K. and France, so yes, we do cooperate, we do find useful lessons.”
New Zealand at a Glance Independence Day Sept. 26, 1907
(from the U.K.)
Flag of New Zealand
Location Oceania, islands in the South
Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Capital Wellington Population 4.5 million (July 2018 estimate) Ethnic groups European 71.2 percent,
Maori 14.1 percent, Asian 11.3 percent, Pacific peoples 7.6 percent, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African 1.1 percent, other 1.6 percent, not stated or unidentified 5.4 percent (2013 estimate)
Religious groups Christian 44.3 percent,
Hindu 2.1 percent. Buddhist 1.4 percent, Maori Christian 1.3 percent, Islam 1.1 percent, other religion 1.4 percent (includes Judaism, Spiritualism and New Age religions, Baha’i, Asian religions other than Buddhism), no religion 38.5 percent, not stated or unidentified 8.2 percent, objected to answering 4.1 percent (2013 estimate)
GDP (purchasing power parity) $189 billion (2017 estimate)
GDP per-capita (PPP) $39,000 (2017 estimate) GDP growth 3 percent (2017 estimate) Unemployment 4.7 percent (2017 estimate) Population below poverty line NA
PHOTO: 680451 / PIXABAY
A cathedral is seen in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, which is home to roughly 3,000 Muslims.
Industries agriculture, forestry, fishing, logs and wood articles, manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, real estate services, tourism
SOURCE: CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
PHOTO: EMBASSY OF NEW ZEALAND
Above, an indigenous New Zealand Māori troupe performs a ceremonial Haka dance on the steps of the U.S. Lincoln Memorial on April 9 to pay tribute to the victims of the Christchurch massacre. Below, a tram rolls through the otherwise-tranquil city of Christchurch.
PHOTO: 680451 / PIXABAY
As for action at the federal level, New Zealand, like so many other countries, hopes that the isolationism under the Trump administration — whether it’s on climate change or free trade — is a temporary phenomenon. “Since America is such an important ally globally and in any multilateral system, I think we’re all happier when the U.S. is inside the
tent rather than outside. We hope that the kind of architecture of international relations and of rules that has been constructed over many decades, that it will remain,” she said. Banks added that the U.S.-New Zealand relationship is an enduring one “irrespective of administrations. It’s been a great friendship over our entire history, which, in fact, goes
back to your first consul, who was to sent to New Zealand in 1839.” Today, the two counties continue to cooperate on issues such as New Zealand’s burgeoning space industry. Banks also made it a point to mention that the U.S. enjoys a small trade surplus with New Zealand and expressed hope that Trump will eventually remove the tariffs he’s imposed on steel and aluminum imports. Banks demurred, however, when asked if Trump’s repeated denunciations of immigrants, including Muslims, and his hesitancy to outright condemn white supremacists have contributed to the surge in xenophobia, both in the U.S. and around the world. “The rise of white supremacists or extremism or any kind of dangerous ideology is clearly a concern, but we’re not getting into trying to pinpoint where that’s coming from or who could help it or not help it,” she replied. “We’ve been quite focused on our own situation and our own responses.” And part of that response has been to stress that the Christchurch massacre will not threaten New Zealand’s tradition of tolerance and openness. In fact, Banks pointed out that her country is home to some 200 ethnicities and 160 languages, “which is not what people typically think of when they think of New Zealand.” A key part of the island’s diversity is its indigenous Māori people, whose rights were enshrined in the Waitangi Treaty signed back in 1840. Banks said New Zealanders have embraced many Māori values. “And there are two particular Māori values that I think have really shown up in the period post-Christchurch.” One is “manaakitanga,” which she said is “the Māori concept of living with each other in tolerance, respect and caring for each other. The other one is about caring for the natural world in the same way, and that’s ‘kaitiakitanga.’ And those two values are really important in our society.” Asked what she wanted Americans to take away from the Christchurch tragedy once the headlines inevitably fade in today’s 24-7 news cycle, Banks said, “It would be the message that the prime minister has given — that we take this as a reminder to everybody, not just us in New Zealand but around the world, that we need to redouble our efforts at understanding each other, at counteracting extremism and at being open to differences, whether they’re religious or cultural.” Banks also cited a comment the mayor of Christchurch made at one of the initial remembrance ceremonies: “She said I’d like us to be remembered for our response, not for the fact that these terrorist attacks happened.” WD Anna Gawel (@diplomatnews) is the managing editor of The Washington Diplomat.
MAY 2019 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | 19