NZ pushes back against US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s claim it’s ‘free loading’ on defence
Saturday, 30 May 2026
SINGAPORE: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says New Zealand is “free loading”, even as it moves to lift defence spending to 2% of GDP.
Defence Minister Chris Penk has been quick to push back; telling The Post New Zealand has played its part in global security “for generations”.
Hegseth made the comments in front of hundreds of defence ministers, military heads and industry leaders at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday morning.
He had earlier told the defence summit the United States expected its allies and partners to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence; heaping praise on Australia for “stepping up” and investing in “real combat power”.
Independent journalist Anna Fifield asked Hegseth why New Zealand hadn’t got a mention in a following question and answer session.
“[New Zealand has] recently outlined a plan to get from 1% to 2% of GDP, a long way from 3.5% Would you consider New Zealand to be a free rider?” Fifield asked.
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“I appreciate the question…if I’m being honest though, 2% is not enough and so 2% is free loading, but I don't have anything against New Zealand,” Hegseth said.
“I want partners to step up. I didn’t intentionally leave it off on my list. I look forward to working with the new Defence Minister there and enhancing those capabilities.”
Hegseth said it wasn’t enough to fall back on friendships anymore.
“You can't just say, oh, we've been friends for a long time, so let's work together. It's, we've been friends for a long time so you better have the same capabilities we do because if we don't our alliance is meaningless, and that's the kind of realism President Trump has asked me to inject into, into all relationships.”
Speaking to The Post afterwards, Penk said he disagreed with Hegseth’s claim New Zealand wasn’t pulling its weight.
“New Zealand's not free loading. We've been playing our part for generations around the globe.”
“The context of the Secretary's remarks was that for nations in the room that have historically spent 2%, he wants to see an uplift from that level, but because we are doubling our expenditure, admittedly from a low base, it seems to me that we're on a trajectory that says that we are clearly determined not to be viewed as free loaders.”
New Zealand’s 2025 Defence Capability Plan (DCP) committed $12b over four years - $9b of which was new money - to lift defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2032/33.
Penk has been clear the spending trajectory is a floor, not a ceiling, and New Zealand may well reach 2% earlier with big purchases - like new frigates - coming up before then.
More recently, Budget 2026 allocated $1.6b of new funding - $880m for operating costs (personnel, infrastructure) and $700m for capital expenses (drones) - taking the total new investment in defence to $5.8b since the DCP was released.
Penk said he provided Hegseth this context to reassure him New Zealand was not free loading in a sit-down meeting shortly after the Secretary made the claim.
“He made it clear that the US really values the contribution that New Zealand has made over many years, but including in the present day, and he was pleased to be reassured that we're on that track to double our defence spending.”
Penk added New Zealand had more to contribute than just money, given its long-standing relationships with other small island nations in the Pacific.
“It was clear when we had the opportunity to talk directly with Secretary Hegseth that he and the US administration know that there's an important role that we're playing, including that we play a role that is different from that which the US can play, and even potentially a bit different from the role that Australia can play.
“It's not just about the dollars, or the percentage of GDP, it's actually about the kind of value we can provide and some of the influence, as opposed to military power, that New Zealand is able to exercise.”
Anneke Smith’s travel to the Shangri-La Dialogue has been made possible by support from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.