Our independence never an easy path
STUART SMITH,
NATIONAL MP, KAIKŌURA
New Zealand’s integrity on the world stage has been carefully crafted over many generations.
Our independent foreign policy has led us to a point where we are a respected partner, friend, and advocate for the upholding of human rights and democracy. Our ability to hold “uncomfortable” conversations with superpowers and stand up for much smaller nations to help influence peaceful solutions is also a source of pride for New Zealanders.
First and foremost, however, we operate in the best interests of the security and prosperity of our citizens. Currently, that means continuing the work commenced under the previous government in exploring the benefits, risks, and cost of Aukus pillar two.
There has been no shift in New Zealand’s approach under the coalition Government. We know from previous international defence force operational deployments that the ability to engage with partners and share interoperability offers significant security advantage.
Pillar two of Aukus presents further opportunities for inter-operability with our key security partners, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Given the increasingly challenging environment in the Indo-Pacific, we are committed to strengthening shared regional frameworks, rules, and norms, to maximise opportunities and to manage risks. Importantly, pillar two is quite distinct from pillar one and would not compromise our non-nuclear stance. As recently stated by our Foreign Minister, involvement in Aukus pillar two is contingent on agreement from all parties.
We are still at the exploratory stage with partners of what pillar two involves, and whether we would commit to it or indeed want to be included.
New Zealand has been aligned with partners for decades diplomatically, militarily and in intelligence sharing. There is no reason why New Zealand cannot continue to maintain a range of relationships, including our long-standing and comprehensive relationship with China. We look forward to this continuing at all levels through mutually beneficial trade, tourism, sister city relationships, cultural exchange and more.
The Government is deeply committed to the peace and security of the Indo-Pacific and to ensuring New Zealand has the relationships to help the region succeed. We stand with our Pacific partners to collectively respond to the challenges facing the region, such as the threat to the environment, and livelihoods of its people.
We have committed to an ambitious target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions, aligned with our Net Zero 2050 goal, and have already started work towards doubling renewable energy production. Ensuring projects that help lower emissions are fast tracked is part of our wider plan to rebuild a more sustainable economy for the future.
Through partnership, we will ensure we take care of our security, defence, and environmental needs.
ARENA WILLIAMS,
LABOUR MP, MANUREWA
This is an important topic for this column, and I'm glad to be writing about it. Aukus was initially an Australia-UK-US security pact involving access to nuclear submarines for the Australian Defence Force.
Discussions around a second pillar of Aukus involve the sharing of non-nuclear military technologies. This may be the first time some readers will be seeing coverage of our potential involvement in Aukus.
The Government’s recent position to “look for ways to participate” wasn’t discussed on the campaign trail by National. The issue of Aukus participation represents a potentially critical juncture in New Zealand’s engagement in the region and how we promote our values and interests in global affairs.
New Zealand has long pursued an independent foreign policy – seeking to engage constructively and build ties with traditional allies and emerging powers, while maintaining our ability to disagree with other countries in line with our values. This has never been an easy path to tread. But some of the most important foreign policy decisions New Zealand has taken in recent decades – from opposing the 2003 US invasion of Iraq to the recent UN general assembly vote in favour of a humanitarian truce in Gaza – reflect this principled, independent foreign policy.
At the same time New Zealand has built and maintained relationships broadly, including being a member of the Five Eyes network and the first OECD country to sign a free trade agreement with China.
This means we haven’t seen ourselves as the little brother to the US, Australia or anyone else. Instead, we have acted in accordance with what we think best promotes the sort of international environment New Zealanders want to live within. As a result, New Zealand has been a consistent actor in favour of peace and de-escalation, even as challenges to a rules-based international order have mounted.
The question of our involvement in pillar two of Aukus goes beyond sharing of technology. Aukus is widely understood as an attempt to contain China. It would mean tying ourselves closer to one side of a strategic struggle at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. Helen Clark and Don Brash have recently warned that New Zealand’s sudden eagerness to participate in Aukus represents an abandonment of our independent foreign policy.
NZ’s security is best served by a stable and demilitarised Pacific. We should be asking whether we should be part of a pact that positions China as a foe and whether Aukus will increase the risk of the very militarisation we want to avoid.
It is crucial we do not sleepwalk into a significant shift in our geopolitical stance. This is a decision that may shape our involvement in international affairs for a generation. It is important that young people engage with this and that their voices are heard. This about what it means to be from New Zealand, and how we act upon the world around us.