Rt Hon John Key
Prime Minister
7 February 2014
Prime Ministers Key and Abbott meet in Sydney
Prime Minister John Key met with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Sydney today and jointly chaired a meeting of
Australian and New Zealand Cabinet Ministers.
“New Zealand and Australia share one of the closest economic partnerships in the world and it’s critical that we
continue to deepen the economic and business links between our two countries,” says Mr Key.
Mr Key thanked Prime Minister Abbott for inviting New Zealand to join the G20 meetings, which Australia is hosting this
year.
Prime Minister Abbott also invited New Zealand to join the Business 20, which runs parallel to the G20, and have a
representative on the organising committee.
The Prime Ministers agreed that an Australasia Business Week showcasing the Australasian economy to the world would be held at the same time as the B20 summit in Sydney in July.
“This is a great opportunity for New Zealand and Australia businesses to work together to advance trade and economic
reform.”
Mr Key welcomed Prime Minister Abbott’s confirmation that Australia would extend access to students under the Higher
Education Loan Program to long-term New Zealand residents in Australia.
“It is in both countries best interest to provide educational opportunities for young people.”
The Prime Ministers also announced that international visitors will only need one visa to attend games in next year's
Cricket World Cup which is being co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
“This will make it much easier for fans to watch games on both sides of the Tasman,” says Mr Key.
The two Prime Ministers also released a joint response to the study the New Zealand and Australia Productivity
Commissions.
“The response highlights the work we are doing together to boost productivity, increase competitiveness and essentially
make it easier for firms to do business in both countries.”
Mr Key also welcomed Australia’s decision to make Mutual Recognition of Imputation Credits a matter for discussion in
Australia’s Tax Reform White Paper.
ENDS