Why New Zealand can no longer treat defence as discretionary - John Howard
The author argues that New Zealand must increase its defense spending to address regional security challenges in the Pacific. The piece supports the government's recent $12 billion investment plan as a necessary step to maintain national sovereignty and diplomatic credibility.
Why it matters
This reflects a shift in New Zealand's foreign policy toward increased military readiness in response to growing geopolitical competition in the Pacific.
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New Zealand's $12b defence uplift must outlast political cycles. Photo / Getty Images
Greece. Crete. North Africa. The Pacific. Battle honours carried by New Zealand units and etched into memorials across New Zealand mark campaigns fought between 1940 and 1943.
They were paid for in blood and treasure by a generation that had, in the relative calm of the 1920s and 1930s, allowed hard-won military capability to be run down. The question now is whether we are about to make the same mistake again.
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