Prime Minister Christopher Luxon flies to Australia with message for Anthony Albanese

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during an earlier meeting. Photo / Adam Pearse

Christopher Luxon has two main focuses over the next 48 hours: Business and infrastructure in Sydney today, and rubbing shoulders with Canberra’s political elite tomorrow.

And it’s in the capital where he’ll once again meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – it’s the third time the pair have met since Luxon became Prime Minister.

In that meeting, Luxon’s revealed he will be raising the issue of 501 deportees with Albanese “pretty directly”.

But today, Luxon’s eyes will be fixed on the Sydney skyline as he meets with the top brass at Beca.

Australian infrastructure is of particular interest to Luxon, specifically in New South Wales.

Accompanying the Prime Minister in meetings at Beca will be Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones.

These three ministers are heavily involved in the Government’s “ambitious” pipeline of infrastructure projects, and the contentious RMA fast-track process.

Luxon said when it comes to New Zealand’s infrastructure pipeline, the Government needs to be able to attract foreign capital from private investors.

And he said Australia is the perfect place for the Government to go looking for that capital.

“We will not be able [to provide modern, reliable infrastructure] alone, just with the Government’s balance sheet, so we’re open to getting more investment in to do more PPPs to get infrastructure built quicker.”

Specifically, there’s major interest from the top levels of Government in New South Wales and its ability to turn large projects around.

Sydney’s new metro station is one area of interest for the Prime Minister and his travelling ministerial trio.

As well as meetings with Beca, Luxon has blocked out time to sit down with New South Wales Premier Christopher Minns.

It’s understood the pair will be discussing infrastructure, and how the State Government’s partnered with businesses, to create successful Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

The final item of Luxon’s agenda today is a major foreign affairs speech to the Lowy Institute – it’s the first set-piece foreign affairs speech from the Prime Minister.

It’s understood the speech will lay out New Zealand’s view of the world, with a specific focus on some of the issues at play in the Pacific Region.

And it’s that speech that will serve somewhat as a scene setter as he, his ministers and officials travel to Canberra tonight, ahead of high-level meetings tomorrow.

The centrepiece of Luxon’s tour of the capital will be his meeting with Albanese.

In addition to the several meetings and numerous calls between Luxon and Albanese, there have been 12 top-level meetings between his ministers, and members of Albanese’s cabinet since the election.

Luxon said there are several items on the pair’s agenda, including the question of 501 deportees to New Zealand.

Under the Ardern Government, an agreement was reached on a “common sense” way forward on the issue, whereby those who were born in New Zealand and have criminal convictions were being deported back to New Zealand, regardless of how long they had lived in Australia.

Luxon said he will raise this with Albanese “pretty directly” during their conversations.

The pair will also be somewhat forward-looking to the Pacific Island Forum in Fiji later this month.

Both leaders will be attending, with pressure already mounting for Australia and New Zealand to show leadership in the forum, over the fraught situation in New Caledonia.

Jason Walls is Newstalk ZB’s Political Editor and has years of experience working across print and radio