Christopher Luxon, in Australia, sees benefits in Aukus alliance

Thursday, 15 August 2024

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has delivered a foreign policy speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia.

He discussed New Zealand possibly joining the Aukus alliance, and addressed concerns about instability in the Pacific.

New Zealand would be a “participant” - not spectator - in matters of regional security, he said.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is in Australia, talking about the potential of building New Zealand’s military alliance with our neighbour and other Western allies.

Luxon arrived in Sydney on Thursday morning, and would be visiting the capital during a brief trip across the Tasman.

On Thursday evening, the prime minister delivered one of the most significant foreign policy speeches of his career so far.

In it, he delivered a clear assessment of the Aukus military alliance - an issue of growing debate amongst New Zealand’s foreign policy commentators.

During his Lowy Institute speech, he promised the Australians that New Zealand would be a “participant” - not spectator - in matters of regional security.

“It’s important we can continue to deploy alongside each other in response to the growing array of security challenges we face, particularly in the face of rapid technological change,” he said.

“In this regard, we welcome Aukus as an initiative to enhance regional security and stability.

“New Zealand is exploring with the Aukus partners how we could potentially participate in pillar two, including to understand what this means for our focus on ensuring interoperability.”

Aukus is a security pact between Australia, the UK and the US, with a focus on strategic defence in the Indo-Pacific region.

As part of the pact, Australia is set to receive nuclear-powered submarines. Aukus Pillar II, which New Zealand is looking to join, would not involve nuclear submarines - but would look at strengthening the sharing of military technology.

Since the change of Government, Labour has become increasingly vocal about its concerns if New Zealand was to formally join Aukus.

The alliance as seen as a preparatory step against China’s growing influence in the region.

Luxon’s speech made reference to those concerns.

He said there was “military expansion and modernisation” occurring in the Pacific, and a growing risk of conflict.

Luxon would be in Canberra on Friday and was set to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.