Renewing Friendships, Broadening Horizons

Helen Clark was the first foreign leader to meet with Kevin Rudd in his new role as Australian prime minister. The pair met for a casual lunch at Rudd’s Brisbane home, where they discussed climate change ahead of the summit in Bali. “We’ll be in close contact as governments on the challenges we face with climate change, the challenges we face with Bali, plus the negotiating agenda over the next couple of years – it’s going to be a tough, hard negotiation,” said Rudd in the Sydney Morning Herald. “But when you’ve friends with common interests then we can work these things through.” Rudd and Clark have known each other for a long time, and Rudd described their meeting as renewing a friendship. “As for New Zealand, we have so many things in common,” he said. ” … I look forward to not just continuing this relationship but broadening it.” Rudd’s election marks the first time that Australia and NZ have both had Labour governments since 1990.