David Seymour backs NZ’s bid to host PIF Leaders Meeting, urges regional commitment

The Deputy Prime Minister is backing New Zealand’s bid to host the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) in 2027 and reaffirms the country’s commitment to the region.

In an interview on Pacific Mornings, David Seymour compares the PIF to the United Nations and highlights the importance of ongoing participation in these discussions.

His comments follow Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters’ appeal at last week’s PIF Foreign Ministers meeting in Suva for New Zealand to host the 2027 PIF Leaders’ Meeting.

The last time New Zealand hosted the leaders’ meeting was in 2011.

“With any kind of political meeting, there'll be people that say we don't really like that meeting and we didn't get much out of it, but it is important to keep on talking,” Seymour says.

“But even I don't think that we should abandon having a place where the world goes to talk. It's the same with the Pacific Islands Forum, people can criticise it.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

“But I think it's important that New Zealand shows that we're invested in the Pacific.

“We are a Pacific nation. We value our friendships with all of the Pacific Island nations, and we're putting forward a bid to say, look, if the other forum leaders would like to see New Zealand host it, then we're ready to do our part.”

The decision over the bid will be made at next month’s leaders’ meeting in Honiara.

Watch David Seymour's full interview below

Back home, thousands of nurses and teachers are striking over pay and staff concerns.

Seymour defended recent government moves, saying that teachers have received a 14 per cent pay rise in the last two years.

“The average teacher is now over $100,000, so this is not a bad place to be. We’ll do what we can, but bear in mind that if we pay teachers more, then we can’t afford to do as much on teacher aids.”

In response to the changes to pay equity, Seymour noted the five unions that are suing the government.

The government announced revisions in May, saying the new measures would create a more robust, workable, and sustainable process for raising and resolving pay equity claims.

The Green Party supports the five major unions.

Spokesperson for Women, Kahurangi Carter, says the government should be ashamed of the changes, which have been accused of breaching “fundamental rights, including freedom from gender-based pay discrimination, the right to natural justice, and the right to fair legal process”.

Green MP Kahurangi Carter. Photo/Supplied

Seymour says changes to pay equity could divert funds that would be better used elsewhere.

“If you'd like more money go away, make a claim, have a negotiation, get paid more, well that's okay but you're not actually producing anything extra, you're just arguing to take more of the money that's available.

“The question is how do we make the whole country richer so we're not always arguing with each other about butter's too expensive, petrol's too expensive, rent's too expensive.

“I also just make the point that pay equity is still there for genuine discrimination and in any case the real solution is that we all need to get wealthier.”