Richard Arnold

We'd probably need more people on the ground in terms of diplomacy internationally to get out into the world.

So therefore, why not give him more people and cut in departments we simply don't need?

All ministers want to get more resources, obviously, and we're holding the line pretty tight to say, look, there are some that we know we've got to make some investments in, particularly frontline services.

Actually, in fact, since we've come to power, it's actually had some really good funding increases, so that's quite acceptable.

I'm sure it's never enough for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but equally we've been pretty decent.

I think I've found a good way through, which is that we have lifted the intensity of our international relationships, and we have to, and we'll continue to do so.

So he's certainly got plenty of budget.

I got a sense last week the things – I know things are still tight in the economy.

I get that.

It's tight for all of us until the straits open.

But you look at – you were at the tourism thing.

You look at what's going on in that area and look at the numbers and the amount of money your Americans are spending here, and then you look at the export receipts that came in just for April.

There's plenty in that economy, thank God, that's actually going quite well.

Honestly, there's some really good news stories.

We had tourism come in at 9.5%, I think, just over 9%.

We had international education come in at 11.2% for the year.

We've had $12 billion worth of extra exports over and above what we did the year before.

You would have seen Zespri hit $6 billion in revenues up from five, almost a billion added to it.

You've got startup companies like Holter that have added a billion dollars.

It went from $1 billion to $2 billion in the space of 12 months.