Page 1995 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 June 2021
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and we look forward to working collaboratively with our friends in Wellington to make this a reality. July marks the fifth anniversary of our sister city agreement and I have invited the mayor to bring a delegation to Canberra to celebrate this milestone. I hope he will be able to visit the ACT in September.
Meeting with the Mayor of Wellington also created an opportunity to engage with Wellington’s peak LGBTIQ body, Rainbow Wellington, to discuss some of the issues facing our communities, as well as how our two cities might continue to engage on these matters in future. I was also pleased to discuss LGBTI health with New Zealand’s Associate Minister of Health, Ayesha Verrall.
Members may be aware that Minister Verrall spent time in Canberra working at Canberra Hospital. This fostered a very productive discussion about several issues, including shared support for the Darlington statement, health issues amongst transgender and intersex communities, and the intersection of LGBTIQ+ rights and inclusion within the Human Rights Act. We look forward to continued contact between the ACT and New Zealand governments on these important matters.
Of course, the New Zealand trade mission would not have been possible without the efforts of Australia’s High Commissioner, Her Excellency Patricia Forsythe AM. Her Excellency hosted the ACT delegation at the Australian High Commission, alongside the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, Zealandia CEO Paul Atkins, Wellington Botanic Garden manager David Sole, and ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards winner Richard Brown of Canberra firm Cogito.
Cogito now has an office in Wellington and delivers cybersecurity services across the New Zealand government, including more than 70 government entities. So it was a great pleasure to officially open Cogito’s Wellington office and to meet the team, which continues to be a great example—a premier example, Madam Speaker—of how Canberra businesses can leverage the sister city partnership.
Of course, the ACT also values our strong relationship with Auckland. I was pleased to meet with Mayor Phil Goff and the Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill to discuss, amongst other things, the aviation links between our two cities. Like Canberra, Auckland has been heavily impacted by the loss of international students and the challenge of returning those students, as well as international tourism more broadly, and the city is working to diversify its economy.
International travel was also central to discussions with the Auckland Business Chamber. The chamber’s CEO, Michael Barnett, has been working closely with a number of Australian and ACT stakeholders—including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Canberra airport, the Canberra Region Tourism Leaders Forum, VisitCanberra and the Office of International Engagement—regarding travel between our two countries. I am pleased that the chamber is supportive of the additional aviation routes and will continue working with the territory on this issue, as well as to further business opportunities between our two cities.
Trade was an important area of discussion with stakeholders, including Australia’s Consul-General in Auckland, the Hon Craig Knowles, who is also the Senior
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