NZ party says bonjour to new Pacific governments

New Caledonia and French Polynesia have new leaderships after months of uncertainty and a large New Zealand welcome party is today on its way to say hello.

As the countries settle after recent controversial elections, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff thinks it is time to start working on diplomatic and trade relationships.

"Both territories have had a challenging time politically - we've seen the removal by election of long-standing leaders like Jacques Lafleur in New Caledonia and Gaston Flosse in French Polynesia," Mr Goff said.

"In both cases it's quite a big change locally to have these two formerly predominant figures taken out of the political equation and we need to get to know and understand the new leadership in both those places."

In New Caledonia - New Zealand's third-largest export market in the Pacific, worth $121 million last year - Mr Lafleur's RPCR party lost its majority after 20 years and the pro-France L'Avenir Ensemble (AE) performed well.

But there was little shift in the balance of power between pro-France and pro-independence parties and it took weeks before pro-France candidate Marie-Noelle Themereau was appointed the new President last June.

In French Polynesia - New Zealand's second largest trading partner in the region ($167 million last year) - things were even more rocky, with Oscar Temaru's pro-independence Union for Democracy (UPLD) party only taking power this February in byelections after a general election last May.

After the May elections, two members of Mr Temaru's coalition switched allegiance, causing upheaval as both he and Mr Flosse claimed the presidency.

Mr Goff said that while times were turbulent the islands were becoming increasingly relevant to New Zealand.

"We're now taking a quite different approach to the French territories in the Pacific. Both of them have been given more of an ability to make more of their decisions locally."

Mr Goff said the French Government was encouraging the territories to become more integrated into the Pacific region - French Polynesia has increased powers under the 2004 autonomy statute and New Caledonia is implementing the 1988 Noumea Accord which gave it enhanced self-governing status within the French constitution.

"In both cases we're looking at the integration not only being on a political front but also on a trade front to try to integrate the French territories into trading arrangements in the Pacific," such as through the Pacific Islands Countries Trade Agreement (Picta), he said.

"These are very respectable markets for New Zealand."

Both countries are still partly dependent on French money. France puts $321 million a year into the French Polynesian economy and in New Caledonia the French Government sustains the public sector.

Mr Goff said it was vital for the Pacific to work together not only in trade but also to prepare for disasters such as tsunami, avian bird flu and fighting HIV/AIDS.

The delegation visits New Caledonia today before travelling to French Polynesia and Rapa Nui, returning home on Sunday.

- NZPA