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Prime Minister John Key has drawn on the close bonds between New
Zealand and Australia in his historic address to Australia's
Parliament, the first by a New Zealand Prime Minister.
Key was greeted with a standing ovation when he walked into the
Australian Parliament chambers.
He began his address by saying New Zealand was committed to
Australia, "above all others, and for all time".
"In recent times you have shown New Zealand a degree of loyalty and
support that only family can," he said.
"For that we are truly grateful.
"When an explosion ripped through the Pike River Mine in November
last year you sent your specialist experts, your machinery and your
hope.
"When the devastating Christchurch earthquake struck us in
February, you came to our aid immediately, unreservedly and with
open hearts.
"You had our back."
Key said the relationship shared by New Zealand and Australia was
like no other.
He said he and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard remained
committed to further integrating the two economies, saying the
Closer Economic Relations agreement had served both countries
well.
"It has benefited our economies, our businesses and the families
and communities we serve."
Key is set to fly to Sydney tonight to attend a private charity
fundraising gala dinner organised by the Commonwealth Bank of
Australia with the money going to the Government's Christchurch
Earthquake Appeal.
Closer integration
Earlier, it was announced New Zealand and Australia will work on
linking the two countries' emissions trading schemes.
In a joint press conference, Key and Gillard announced a number of
joint initiatives between the two countries.
As well as plans for a linked ETS, the leaders said New Zealand and
Australia would be working together on plans for the upcoming
centenary of Anzac Day.
"We need to make appropriate preparations now for 2015," Gillard
said.
"The word Anzac defines so much about both our nations."
She said an advisory board would be formed shortly in Australia to
make plans for the centenary and that it would be seeking input
from New Zealand.
Gillard said Australia needed to catch up with New Zealand on
pricing carbon, saying New Zealand's ETS was "working
successfully".
"We will show the same determination they have."
Gillard has been slumping in the polls since she announced her
government would be putting an ETS in place.
Key used his speech to Australia for its support during the
Canterbury earthquakes and the Pike River mine disaster.
"It was extremely comforting to have not only the financial support
of the people of Australia, but actually their technical expertise
and their goodwill."
"To feel that New Zealand wasn't isolated when it was dealing
with some of the worst natural disasters we've ever had was very
encouraging."
Key said the two leaders have also discussed a Rugby World Cup
wager, should Australia and New Zealand meet each other in the
final.
"One option we're think of is that maybe the Prime Minister of the
losing country has to eat an apple from the country and then spend
sixty seconds describing the merits and benefits of that apple,"
said Key.
"All I can say is I hope the All Blacks don't lose."
New Zealand earlier this year won a WTO ruling over a 90-year
battle to get its apples into the Australian market.
Trans-Tasman regulatory agency
A new trans-Tasman agency to regulate medicines and medical devices
will also be established.
The Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Agency (ANZTPA) is
expected to be established in up to five years.
"New Zealand's regulatory arrangements for medicines and medical
devices need to be updated, and this is a cost-effective and
comprehensive way of achieving this," Key said.
"Currently, medicines are subject to this approval but medical
devices are listed on a notification database which should be
improved - the establishment of this new agency provides the
opportunity to do so."
The Greens oppose the agency, saying it would undermine New
Zealand's sovereignty.
"The new agency will be based in Canberra, staffed by Australians
and dominated by Australia. New Zealand will have very little
influence," said Green MP Sue Kedgely.
Key said the Government's review of the proposed separate scheme
for natural health products in five years' time will consider
whether or not to maintain a separate scheme for natural health
products in New Zealand.
Foreign leaders addressing Parliament
In New Zealand, the Greens blocked Gillard speaking to Parliament
during a formal sitting in February, saying that would be a breach
of New Zealand's sovereignty. She spoke in the morning, before the
house sat.
Parkin told Breakfast there are no such issues in Australia where
for the best part of a decade foreign leaders have been invited to
address parliament.
Key is the eighth foreign leader to do so, including both of the
Bush Presidents, Bill Clinton and Britain's Tony Blair.
"The last George Bush to roll through did get a bit of a hard time
in the House from some of the members there as you would expect.
That was sort of in the heat of the Iraq war, but certainly none of
this threatening to walk out or boycott the speech as we saw
from
the Greens.
"They're a bit more used to it than we are," Parkin said.
Sour note
Last night's dinner with Gillard at The Lodge in Canberra did have
the potential to revive one sour note in the trans-Tasman
relationship - New Zealand's 90-year battle to get its apples into
the Australian market.
Key said the dinner was delicious but it had a sour ending when he
was served up an Australian apple tart, Newstalk ZB reports.
He said it was a deliberate attempt by the chef to market what she
believed were some of the finest apples in the world.
But Key said the apples were substandard compared to New Zealand
ones.
In her speech to the New Zealand Parliament, Gillard won applause
when she confirmed Australia would be opening the door to New
Zealand apples following the World Trade Organisation ruling late
last year against Australia's ban.
