1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,840 Speaker 1: A big week for the country, as we've alluded to, 2 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: as we come face to face with the Trump administration 3 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: for the first time. Foreign to his minister, Winston Peters 4 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: is in the state to had up a meeting with 5 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,319 Speaker 1: the Secretary of State Marco Rubia, and mister Peter's with 6 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: this good morning. 7 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 2: Good morning. 8 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: How do you approach the Trump administration? 9 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 3: Well, we're approaching the Trump administration with our eyes wide 10 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 3: open and prepared to listen, hear them out, hear their 11 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 3: side of the story, and make sure that we get 12 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 3: a chance to accurately present our side of the. 13 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 2: Story as well. 14 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: What is our side of the story? And I mean, 15 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: how far down the track of our relationship do you 16 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: go in one single meeting with a guy like Rubio. 17 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 3: Well, with a guy like Rubio, we'd go there well 18 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 3: prepared because we've had probably now over a year getting 19 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,959 Speaker 3: ready well before the US elections in November, getting our 20 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 3: team mady for change if there was and we thought 21 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 3: there would be a change to a Trump administration. So 22 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 3: we're seeing all those people, We're ensuring that they're in 23 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 3: contact with Ruvia. I'm going to see somebody who knows 24 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 3: a lot about us, about me, will well before my 25 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 3: meeting with it tomorrow. 26 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: I always thought, Ruby, I'll be interested in your take 27 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: on him. I always thought he's a top intellect, very 28 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: solid understanding of world affairs, and that's before you get 29 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,199 Speaker 1: to the presidential side of the equation. Do you see 30 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: him in a similar light. 31 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 3: I've been observing his career for quite a considerable time. 32 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 3: I think he's come an awful long way. I think 33 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 3: it's very very experienced, very talented. But you know, there 34 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 3: are others. The National Security Advisor Mike Walsh we're seeing today, 35 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:34,839 Speaker 3: and also the us AID Peter Morico. We've seen him 36 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 3: that's ahead of USA. We're seeing him tomorrow as well. 37 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: So what specifically are you looking to get out of 38 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: the Rubio meeting. 39 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 3: Well, look, our first meeting, but we've suken off the 40 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 3: phone and discussed at the time how critical this country 41 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 3: called New Zealand is to the United States in terms 42 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 3: of the Blue Continent, the Pacific. We're very very important member. 43 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: Also our long standing record on democracy, freedom, liberty, all 44 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 3: the things that the American people regard as being important. 45 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 3: And then in the big picture, the challenges we joint 46 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 3: leave base going through into the future. So it's a 47 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 3: chance to catch up, but also to spend a lot 48 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 3: of time getting ready for him by talking to so 49 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 3: many of his people who are connected both for the 50 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 3: president and himself. 51 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: I'm assume you're aware because before you left the country. 52 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: But crys Ladell was speaking at the investment conference on Friday, 53 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: and he's got experience with Trump. Of course, he said 54 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: keep your head down, not used personally, but New Zealand, 55 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: keep your head down. Is that good advice? 56 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 3: Well, that's been my precise advice to the administration in 57 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 3: New Zealand from the work go keep our head down, 58 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 3: wait till the doth settles before we make any decisions. 59 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 3: So I was very pleased that Christal Ell came in 60 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 3: and said the same thing, because we needed to show 61 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: some experience in this matter right here, right now. 62 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: How aware or how on the radar do you honestly 63 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: think New Zealand is I mean, do we touch on 64 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: Orcus and five eyes and all of that sort of 65 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: thing or not? 66 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 3: Well, we do, but then a different way where it's 67 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 3: in New Zealand's case. The discussion has been going on 68 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 3: since twenty twenty one on Pillar two, but on the 69 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 3: other issues, we'd like to know going forward what progress 70 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 3: they're making in those areas. 71 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 2: But New Zealand's not just a spectator. 72 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 3: New Zealand has been a significant country over a long 73 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 3: period of time where American interests are concerned, and our 74 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 3: job is some. 75 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: To remind people of that. 76 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: As regards to the Pacific, in what has been happening 77 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: in the Pacific recently, particularly with the Chinese, do you 78 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: think that's on their radar in a major way. 79 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 3: I believe it's on their radar, and I believe it's 80 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 3: If it's not in a major way, then it needs 81 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 3: to be. 82 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 2: That'll be part of the discussion we. 83 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: Have what needs to happen from your point of view, 84 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: So you can walk out of this by the end 85 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:54,279 Speaker 1: of the week saying that's a success. 86 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 3: Oh I look, if we're going to make those sorts 87 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 3: of househould, I say, that's a fair question to ask. 88 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 3: But if any politicians starts reacting to that, then I 89 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 3: think it'll be normally premature. 90 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 2: This is a stage by stage, build by build confidence and. 91 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 3: Belief in what we're both as a country, saying we're 92 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 3: a small country but an important one, and to say 93 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,799 Speaker 3: that at the end of the week we've had successful 94 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 3: discussions will be enough, providing we've got a commitment to 95 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 3: take those discussions forward in a seriously meaning way both 96 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 3: respected trade and with respect to security. 97 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: All right, go, well, well that Winston plet does in 98 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: Washington for us this morning. 99 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 3: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 100 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 3: news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 101 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 3: the podcast on iHeartRadio.