Well of course New Zealand isn't anti-American.
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.
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.
We just sent our condolences to the President of the United States and the American people on what is a terrible, terrible tragedy.
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.
If the market is left to sort matters out, social injustice will be heightened and suffering in the community will grow with the neglect the market fosters.
In the end, there will always be a fundamental difference of perspective between New Zealand and Australia on defense, whoever is in government.
I deeply detest social distinction and snobbery, and in that lies my strong aversion to titular honours.
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.
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.
Well, there have been periods in the past when prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand were at each others' throats publicly and frequently. That's not productive at all.
Marine protected areas, and particularly no-take zones, are very effective in allowing regeneration of fish stocks.
I think it's inevitable that New Zealand will become a republic and that would reflect the reality that New Zealand is a totally sovereign-independent 21st century nation 12,000 miles from the United Kingdom.
Well in the end the world can crank itself up to sanctions, as it has with Zimbabwe, another sad case.
