Andrew Needs is New Zealand's High Commissioner to Canada, based in Ottawa, with cross-accreditations to Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Guyana. Andrew took up his current role in January 2010. From 2008-2010 Andrew served as Foreign Policy Adviser to the New Zealand Foreign Minister, based in the Minister's office in Parliament. Andrew is on his second assignment in Canada, having also served as Deputy High Commissioner from 2004-2008. Previous overseas assignments have included Australia and the Cook Islands. Andrew took two years out from the Ministry in the mid nineties to take up the role of Director of Economic and Development Policy at the Forum Secretariat in Fiji. Head office based roles have included time in the Pacific, Australia, Sth East Asia, Economic and Development Assistance Divisions. Andrew is in Canada with his wife Bronwyn and two teenage sons, Matthew and Oliver. They enjoy biking and kayaking in the summer and skating/skiing and snowboarding in the winter.