Luxon keen on Aussie, embarrassed by plane

Salt in the wound: the two RAAF planes that Australia took to the Pacific Island Forum last month. (Image: BusinessDesk)

Pattrick Smellie

Mon, 18 Dec 2023

It’s “incredibly embarrassing” not knowing whether he can take an air force Boeing-757 to visit his Australian counterpart on Wednesday this week, the prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has conceded.The former Air New Zealand chief executive would like to take one of the ageing 757s to Sydney for his first international engagement since becoming prime minister, with Australian federal PM Anthony Albanese.Visiting the Australian PM is traditionally the first engagement by any new NZ PM, with Luxon putting “being a good se...

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