Defence policy: A glimpse of the rarely spotted Kiwi hawk

A "meeting of minds" in Melbourne: Judith Collins, Australian defence minister Richard Marles, Winston Peters and Australian foreign minister Penny Wong. (Image: BusinessDesk)

Pattrick Smellie

Fri, 02 Feb 2024

Australians can be a laconic lot, so one wonders how much surprise they might have suppressed when the New Zealand foreign and defence ministers turned up in Melbourne this week for a rare show of Kiwi hawkishness.The one-day trip by Winston Peters and Judith Collins to consult their counterparts, Penny Wong (foreign affairs) and Richard Marles (defence and deputy PM, like Peters), may be the most significant shift in NZ defence posture since Helen Clark axed the strike force capability of the air force in May 2001.Peters, born in April 1945, f...

Subscribe to BusinessDesk

Stay informed on business, government and financial developments across New Zealand.

Deeply researched, twice-edited and fact-checked news
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal
Personalised email news alerts, plus gift up to 5 stories a month to non-subscribers

You can cancel anytime with two clicks, an email or a phone call.
Find out more.

We are serious about journalism.

Name {{ registerForm.errors.get('name') }}

Email address {{ registerForm.errors.get('email') }}

Phone Number {{ registerForm.errors.get('phone') }}

Job Title {{ registerForm.errors.get('title') }}

Password Minimum password length of 8 characters.
Require at least one upper and lowercase, numeric, and special character. {{ registerForm.errors.get('password') }}

Repeat password {{ registerForm.errors.get('password_confirmation') }}

We had trouble validating your card. It's possible your card provider is preventing us from charging the card. Please contact your card provider or customer support.

Credit Card

Cardholder's name

{{ __(plans[index].name) | capitalize }} {{ plans[index].attributes.old_price | currency }} {{ plans[index].price | currency }}

All subscriptions auto renew but are easy to cancel.

I Accept The Terms Of Service

{{ registerForm.errors.get('terms') }}

Tax: {{ taxAmount(selectedPlan) | currency }}

Total Price Including Tax: {{ priceWithTax(selectedPlan) | currency }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerSeat ? '/ '+ spark.seatName : '' }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerTeam ? '/ '+ __('teams.team') : '' }} / {{ __(selectedPlan.interval) | capitalize }}