Matt states that for NZ to be happy as a country and be respected in the world, you need to know what your place is and to be seen as a country that makes its own mind up for its people and for their interests.
This does not mean that you are selfish or isolated, in fact quite the opposite, because if you make your own decisions, you are not told which countries that you can deal with and which you can't. Which was certainly a factor when we were tied to our mother United Kingdom’s apron strings and later becoming a close ally to the United States which of course is reoccurring to this day.
This then opens out to how do we remain/become independent which is inclusive of indigenous people and being independent sets the framework of this interview. The question of independence is central to many New Zealanders.