Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is defending her decision to leave New Zealand while the Labour Party is still dealing with the mishandling of sexual assault allegations.
Ms Ardern is in Japan this week for a long-scheduled trip in which she'll meet her counterpart Shinzo Abe and attend the All Blacks' first Rugby World Cup match against South Africa on Saturday.
She then goes on to New York for the United Nations General Assembly for several days of high profile speeches and meetings - including an official sit-down with US President Donald Trump.
Earlier this week, RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch sat down with Ms Ardern - and asked her whether now was a good time to be leaving the country.
Jacinda Ardern is expected to use her visit to New York to take stock of the Christchurch Call - a commitment by countries and tech companies to combat terrorist content online.
Facebook announced a raft of planned changes this morning, including an initiative directing Kiwis to anti-hate groups if they search for white supremacy content.
Ms Ardern is pushing back against suggestions from the Opposition that the Christchurch Call is "talkfest" or PR exercise - and says the tech companies are committed to change.
