This weekend, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed Prime Minister of New Zealand, The Rt Hon Chris Hipkins to Brisbane. It was Prime Minister Hipkins’ second visit to Australia as leader.
Prime Minister Hipkins’ visit is in the lead up to ANZAC Day – a commemoration of a formative time in Australia and New Zealand’s shared history.
Ahead of Prime Minister Hipkins’ visit, Prime Minister Albanese, the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship And Multicultural Affairs announced that from 1 July 2023 onwards, New Zealand citizens living in Australia will have a direct pathway to Australian citizenship.
In Brisbane, the leaders placed a poppy on the plaques of formerly unmarked WWI veterans’ graves at Lutwyche Cemetery and laid a wreath at the Cross of Sacrifice.
The Prime Ministers also held a bilateral meeting and attended together an Australian citizenship ceremony in Brisbane.
This year, Australia and New Zealand are celebrating:
- 80 years of reciprocal diplomatic representation;
- 50 years of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement; and
- 40 years of our Closer Economic Relations Free Trade Agreement.
We will also be co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup in a little under three months.