Visit to New Zealand by Senator Ernesto Cordero, President of the Mexican Senate

25-29 July 2018

Introduction

The visit to New Zealand by Senate President of Mexico was an opportunity to celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations and to discuss events in Mexico and the region soon after recent elections in Mexico.

Senator Cordero’s delegation included Senators Cárdenas, Fernández, and Santana. Senator Fernández is in the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) which won the elections.

Mexico ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in June 2018 and the delegation brought the message that Mexico is very much on board with this, post-election. Mexico is New Zealand’s largest trading partner in Latin America.

Rt Hon Trevor Mallard MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, meeting with Senator Ernesto Cordero and the Mexican Senate delegation

Meetings with Parliamentarians

The delegation first met with the New Zealand Speaker, Rt Hon Trevor Mallard MP and Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Senators Cordero and Fernández

with Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-

Secretary to the Minister of Foreign

Affairs and Trade

This was followed by a meeting with members of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, chaired by Simon O’Connor MP and including Deputy Chairperson, Hon Tim Macindoe MP.

Delegation with members of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee: Simon O’Connor MP(Chairperson), Tim

Macindoe MP (Deputy Chairperson), Golriz Ghahraman MP, Hon Todd McClay MP, Chris Penk MP, Priyanca Radhakrishnan

MP, Jamie Strange MP, and Louisa Wall MP.

The delegation had lunch with members of the New Zealand – Latin America Parliamentary Friendship Group, hosted by Sarah Dowie MP. The lunch included Rt Hon David Carter MP, former Speaker, who led a Speaker’s delegation to Mexico in April 2016.

Delegation with members of the New Zealand – Latin America Parliamentary Friendship Group: Sarah Dowie MP

(Chairperson), Rt Hon David Carter MP, Brett Hudson MP, Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki MP, Stuart Smith MP

In the evening, Rt Hon Trevor Mallard hosted an official dinner for the delegation. New Zealand MPs in attendance were Hon Anne Tolley MP, Deputy Speaker; Jenny Marcroft MP and Kieran McAnulty MP along with Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Delegation with Kieran McAnulty, MP; Hon Anne Tolley MP, Deputy Speaker; Rt Hon Trevor Mallard MP, Speaker; HE José

Traslosheros Hernández; and Jenny Marcroft MP

Delegation outside Parliament buildings.

Meetings outside Parliament

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the delegation had a comprehensive discussion with the Chief Executive and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brook Barrington, and Ben King, Deputy Secretary, Americas and Asia Group.

The delegation also met with Chris Chapman, Manager, New Zealand Export Credit Office, and Treasury officials.

The delegation was provided with briefings on and experiences of the New Zealand creative and film industry (Weta Workshop, Wellington), Māori culture (Rotorua), forestry industry (Rotorua), geothermal power generation (Nga Tamariki Power Station, Taupō district), and the viticulture industry (Cable Bay, Waiheke island).

Delegation at Tamariki Māori Village, Rotorua

Conclusion

Senator Cordero and his delegation held a series of discussions on parliamentary and political developments in each country, and shared Mexican views on regional and international issues and their implications for New Zealand.

With a comprehensive programme, the delegation was able to gather first-hand information on New Zealand’s approaches across a range of subjects including finance, tourism, and geothermal energy. They were also able to learn more about

Māori heritage and culture.

The visit further promoted New Zealand and Mexico parliamentary engagement as Mexico prepares for a new Administration and Congress of the Union.

Programme

Wednesday 25 July Thursday 26 July

Arrival in New Zealand Wellington waterfront lunch and tour of Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand Reception hosted by the Mexican Ambassador to New Zealand

Mihi Whakatau followed by VIP Tour of Parliament Meeting with Fletcher Tabuteau, Under-Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister for Disarmament, and Minister for Regional Economic Development.

Official call on Rt Hon Trevor Mallard, MP, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. Meeting with members of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee.

Lunch with New Zealand Members of Parliament hosted by Sarah Dowie MP, Chair, New Zealand – Latin America Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Meeting with Hon Anne Tolley, MP, Deputy Speaker. Introduction to the House/Observation of Question Time.

Meeting with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Reception and Official Dinner hosted by Rt Hon Trevor Mallard MP, Speaker.

Friday 27 July

Saturday 28 July

Meeting with Treasury

Tour of Weta Workshop

Fly to Rotorua

Visit to Tamaki Maori Village

Redwoods Tree Walk

Guided tour of Te Puia including the wānanga schools precinct and geothermal valley

Visit Nga Tamariki Power Station and discussion on geothermal power in New Zealand

Sunday 29 July Tour of Cable Bay winery and vineyard, Waiheke Island

Delegation

Senator Ernesto CORDERO Arroyo PAN (National Action Party) until 30 June 2017 Senate President from 1 September 2017 Mexico Secretary, Social Security Member, Finance and Public Credit Member, Federal District Member, Foreign Relations, Latin America and the Caribbean Member, Social Development

LXIII Legislature

Senator Dr Luis Humberto

FERNÁNDEZ Fuentes Morena, National Regeneration Movement (2017) Belongs to the National List Senator since 2015. Mexico Member, Anticorruption and Citizen Participation Committee President, Reform Committee of the State in the Senate Committee of Mexico City Labour, Social Security, Justice, Public Safety Committees LXII & LXIII Legislature

Senator José de Jesús SANTANA García PAN (National Action Party) Aguascalientes State, North Central Mexico, 480km from Mexico CityLXII & LXIII Legislature President, Parliamentary Regulations and Practices Secretary, Foreign Relations and NGOs Member, Trade and Industrial Development Member, Governance

Senator Manuel CÁRDENAS FONSECA Partido Nueva Alianza, (PANAL), New Alliance Party Founder of the New Alliance Party (PANAL) 2005 Senator 2016 -2018 Mexico Social Climate Change, Special Productivity, Economic Development, Governance, Justice and Foreign Affairs – Pacific 2016-Asia-Pacific Committees 2018 LXIII Legislature

Delegation Secretary

Adriana GONZÁLEZ Carrillo Former PAN (National Action Party)

General Coordinator of the Gilberto Bosques Centre for International Studies Previous Roles: Senator, LX and LXI Legislatures Deputy, LIX and LXII Legislatures of the Mexican Congress As a Senator was President of Foreign Relations (Not America); Legislative Studies Committee, Human Rights Committees, Labour Committee. Member, Network of Parliamentarians Global Power Partnership of Women Elected Representatives of the Centre for Women Policy Studies.

Visited New Zealand in 2006 as part of the

PM Fellowship Programme