Fortunately New Zealand doesn't have land borders so we are able to be somewhat more rigorous on who gets in and out of our country than perhaps some people.
Marine protected areas, and particularly no-take zones, are very effective in allowing regeneration of fish stocks.
It's fair to say that, for much of my lifetime, New Zealand certainly was a property-owning democracy and working people, ordinary people, had assets.
As New Zealanders, we've been in on the United Nations from the very beginning, played a role in the drafting of the charter - it means a lot to us that those processes are followed.
Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries on earth. Security issue or no security issue, there would need to be a focus on it.
Although biodiversity loss continues globally, many countries are significantly slowing the rate of loss by shoring up protected natural areas and the services they provide, and in expanding national park systems with tighter management and more secure funding.
Economic growth which strips out the planet’s ecosystems is not sustainable
I have no beliefs of a religious kind.
Well in the end the world can crank itself up to sanctions, as it has with Zimbabwe, another sad case.
I think the penny has dropped that the All Blacks aren't automatically just going to be the best team in the world.
New Zealand and SA should take this dimension into account, the skills South Africans are presently contributing to New Zealand.
I think the issue of North Korea is one where the international community as a whole has to work to resolve the crisis.
Well of course New Zealand isn't anti-American.
Senator Obama will be taking office at a critical juncture. There are many pressing challenges facing the international community, including the global financial crisis and global warming. We look forward to working closely with President-elect Obama and his team to address these challenges.
Health and education are always issues.
Of course I have an opinion on many things but I don't micromanage.
If you neglect those who are currently poor and stable, you may create more poor and unstable people. There has been a tremendous concentration of donor interest in countries that are seen as particularly fragile - but it becomes harder to mobilise money for sub-Saharan, plain poor countries.
In terms of having views and being prepared to express them, yes, I think New Zealand's had a leadership role in a lot of things.
I think that generally New Zealand is respected for the positions it takes because it thinks them through.
Business can talk itself into a blue funk.
New Zealand's been pretty quiet on human rights issues, which we will be taking rather more interest in, and in international labor issues.
In the end, there will always be a fundamental difference of perspective between New Zealand and Australia on defense, whoever is in government.
I've been round Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, and China in the last few months and the message that I've been taking is that New Zealand is building an up market dynamic into a connected economy. And that we are not the old-fashioned, ship mutton kind of product the people associate their export in work.
Of course as a small country you're not necessarily in the strongest negotiating position unless you're negotiating with other small countries.
People are optimistic about the future.
