Victoria Brownlee

6.00 AM

My alarm goes off for my morning run. I’m currently training for my first marathon, and one of the best things about hitting the pavement before work is that I get to watch the sunrise over Wellington Harbour.

7.15 AM

Time to get ready for work. My team is dressing in pink today to support Pink Shirt Day, an annual event that takes a stand against bullying. I go all out with a hot pink suit, grab a coffee and walk to the office.

8.30 AM

I meet up with my friends from the Rainbow Network (one of MFAT’s 10+ staff networks) and we head to a special event with former MP Louisa Wall. Louisa has recently joined MFAT as Tuia Tāngata/Ambassador for Gender Equality (Pacific), including advocacy on LGBTQI+ issues. She speaks to us about what she will be doing in her new role and what her vision is for this mahi. I remember watching Louisa on TV championing marriage equality when I was a teenager, so it is surreal to think that we are colleagues now!

9.30 AM

The Rainbow Network event finishes and I go offsite for some training. MFAT offers a wide range of learning and development opportunities, and today I’m attending a workshop on international trade law. The expert facilitator spent ten years at the World Trade Organisation and has an incredible wealth of knowledge to share. I regularly work on trade policy in the Economic Division, so I soak up every word.

12.45 PM

I return to MFAT for lunch. There is a kitchen on my floor, where I often eat with my colleagues. I fill them in on the trade law course and get up to speed with what has been happening in the office while I’ve been away.

1.30 PM

The Economic Division has our weekly team meeting. Since we are split between Auckland and Wellington, it’s in a hybrid format, with some people attending in person and others on Zoom. We have a guest speaker chat to us about the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus. Then we host a roundtable where we discuss projects that we’re working on at the moment.

2.30 PM

I catch to a few minutes answer some emails. Working in policy means that I need to stay up-to-date with current events, and I usually receive between 60-100 messages a day. I power through as many as I can before my next meeting.

3.00 PM

I have a catch-up on Zoom with some of my fellow Policy Officers. MFAT hires graduates in a cohort, and we have a Dean who runs fortnightly drop-in sessions to check on our well-being. I tune into these whenever I can because having good relationships across the Ministry is an important part of being a Policy Officer. My tasks often involve multiple Divisions, and strong connections help me to collaborate effectively. Plus, my cohort is awesome, and I enjoy getting to hang out with them.

3.30 PM

Back to my desk for a few hours. I do some research for a report I’m writing for an interagency group. I meet regularly with other government agencies to update them on what is happening internationally, so I review the latest information and determine the key points that I’ll contribute for MFAT.

I also spend some time preparing for an upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. APEC is an intergovernmental forum for 21 member economies that promotes free trade in the Asia-Pacific region. I’ll be Zooming in on behalf of New Zealand, so I need to have some talking points ready in case another member economy asks a question.

5.15 PM

I wrap up for the day and walk home to my flat. After a quick outfit change, I jump in the car and I’m off to Lower Hutt.

6.15 PM

Now for one of the highlights of my week: boxing class! I’ve recently started boxing for fun, and it’s great stress relief. Somehow, I get paired up with a guy double my size wearing a Tokyo 2020 shirt. It’s a little daunting sparring with a possible Olympian, but we have a good laugh and I leave with a smile on my face.

7.30 PM

I get back from boxing. I make myself dinner, do some laundry and pack my bag for tomorrow.   

9.00 PM

I hop into bed with a book. I’m reading Made in China: A Memoir of Love and Labour by Anna Qu, and it’s a raw testimony of the author’s experience as a young immigrant living in New York. This is one of my favourite parts of the day and I’m tempted to stay up late reading.

9.30 PM

My need for sleep wins out. I turn out the lights and get some rest so that I can wake up tomorrow and do it all again.