‘We can’t hide at this end of the world anymore’: Judith Collins signals 'big' defence investment
Sunday, 23 February 2025
A “big budget” investment in defence has been signalled by Defence Minister Judith Collins who says “we clearly need to step up our game” in light of China's live firing exercises in the Tasman Sea.
China conducted a second live firing exercise from a warship near Australia on Saturday afternoon.
The warships in the Tasman Sea region were believed to be about 350 nautical miles northeast of the Bass Strait, that separates Tasmania from mainland Australia.
Defence Minister Judith Collins’ office confirmed the Chinese naval task force notified the Defence Force of the exercise on earlier on Saturday, following similar activity on Friday which saw disruption to commercial flights in the area.
The New Zealand Defence Force was monitoring the activity with HMNZS Te Kaha and P-8A Poseidon patrol flights.
“We have had confirmation that personnel on Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha observed live rounds being fired from the Zunyi’s main gun, as would be expected during the course of such an exercise.”
Collins told 1News China was within its rights to conduct these drills, but she thought it was best practice to give 12 to 24 hours notice of live firing exercises.
'Having said that, there's no reason to think the People's Liberation Army Navy has breached international law or the UN Convention on the law of the sea.
'They're allowed to do what they're doing, and it's just better practice to give better notice.'
She told 1News it was clear New Zealand was no more a 'long way away from anywhere' due to modern technology and defence.
'We need to clearly step up our game.'
Asked if New Zealand's military was weak or underfunded, Collins said defence staff were exceptionally strong and that there was not a “more positive group of people who are keen to deploy at all moments”.
'But that's not good enough. We need to do more, and we certainly need to spend a lot more to get ourselves back out of the ICU and into the ward.'
Collins told the news agency that New Zealand's position in the Ring of Fire meant we had access to minerals and rare earth materials that other countries did not.
'They want them, and we have to understand it's like living with an enormous treasury, but with a tiny little lock, and we need to make sure that lock is bigger.'
Earlier Saturday, Luxon said the Pacific was an increasing geopolitical, geopolitically competitive part of the world.
“That is what you're seeing here. And our prosperity is very strongly linked to our security. That's why I've also said we will absolutely need to increase our defence spending as well,” Luxon said.
1News reported that Collins echoed these remarks and said a Defence Capability Plan would be revealed in the 'relatively short term'.
'This is a big budget item for us, and it's going to have to be for quite a long term to make up for the 35 years of feeling that we're living in this wonderful world where nothing bad could happen.
'We have to do this, we have it do it well, and we have to do it in a careful and sustainable manner, and it can't be a one-off excitement and sugar rush. It's got to be something that actually stays with us and stays in our psyche.
'We cannot hide at this end of the world anymore.'