The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, will lead a strong delegation of Australians to the 2008 Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum being held in Wellington, New Zealand on 13 and 14 June.
The Forum promotes the strength and potential of the Australia New Zealand bilateral relationship. It also considers a range of broader domestic and international strategic issues.
Australia is sending its strongest contingent yet including six Federal Government Ministers and 40 senior business leaders.
Agenda items for this year's Forum include:
* discussion on the progress of the Single Economic Market;
* key economic trends and priorities for the new Australian Government;
* the impact of climate change;
* Australasian demographic trends and their consumer and cultural impacts; and
strategic issues facing Australia and New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP will speak about priorities for the new Australian Government.
Ms Gillard will then lead a discussion panel involving key Australian Ministers with a direct portfolio interest in the countries' bilateral relations.
The Australian delegation includes business and industry leaders drawn from companies with interests and markets in New Zealand.
It includes the CEOs of the Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, and Fairfax Media, and Chairmen of Telstra, Lion Nathan and Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
Mr Rod McGeoch, Chairman of Sky City Entertainment Group Limited and Mr John Allen, Chief Executive of New Zealand Post will co-chair the 2008 Forum.
The forum provides an opportunity for participants to discuss the importance of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
The Deputy Prime Minister will also meet with New Zealand's Prime Minister, Helen Clark.