1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: ANZAC twenty thirty five plan appears to be coming together 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: in defense New Zealand Australia basically looking to be a 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: force multiplier joint operation stronger presents in the Pacific. They've 4 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: all gone across and had a meeting in the last 5 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 1: couple of days due to Collins. Defense Minister is back 6 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: and is with us. Good morning, Oh, good morning. Mike 7 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: is Richard Miles? Good fun he is. 8 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: He and I get on really well, and he's one 9 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: of those people I think when I leave politics, he'll 10 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 2: still be a friend. 11 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: Good stuff. Wong and Peter's together in a room. Was 12 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: that collegial? 13 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 2: Very collegial and I think everyone gets on very well there. 14 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: Good. Are we close I mean, are we more closely 15 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: aligned now with ORCUS as a result of this with 16 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: Australia or not? 17 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:41,319 Speaker 2: No, I don't think so. I think what we're more 18 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,919 Speaker 2: closely aligned with is just operationalizing or formalizing more the 19 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 2: interoperability that we have with Australia. I think the point 20 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 2: is we are very small nation, as you know, in 21 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 2: terms of population, but a very large area that we 22 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 2: have to look after, including all the way up to 23 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 2: Tonga and the tactic and it makes absolute sense for 24 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: us to be closer with Australian terms of defense lines. 25 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 2: It's not as though Australia and New Zealand together a 26 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 2: massive threat to anybody. But what it does mean is 27 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 2: that together we are making use of our assets and 28 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 2: our people far in a far cleverer way than just saying, well, 29 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: call the Aussies and to help us with some got 30 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 2: people embedded. They've got people embedded with us, and I 31 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 2: think there's a huge degree of trust. 32 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: Yes, entirely logical. Do they appreciate our new found enthusiasm 33 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: for defense. 34 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 2: Oh, they definitely do, and I think they are absolutely delighted. 35 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 2: When Richard Miles and I first met, and I was 36 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 2: in the job for about four or five days, we 37 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: were in a New Caledonia at a defense minister's meeting. 38 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 2: He was putting to me, we need to do far 39 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 2: more together than these some of the things we should do. 40 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 2: And I said, oh, you're talking about an ANZAC force 41 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 2: and he said exactly. I said, well, let's to get 42 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: on with it then, And that's wheally it's come from 43 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 2: that genesis. But that's at the political level, but down 44 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: within the actual troops themselves and the defense forces. They've 45 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 2: always been very closely linked. And look we've got we've 46 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 2: got every reason to work together. 47 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, are we standing more proudly in the room these days? 48 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: Given once upon a time and it wasn't that long ago. 49 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,679 Speaker 1: If we were doing this, the logic would still be there, 50 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: but we'd be bringing next to nothing to the equation. 51 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: Entirely correct, Mike. What we're seeing is that we are 52 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: standing up far better and we are not having to 53 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 2: apologize for not having anything. You know, we actually apart 54 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 2: from our excellent people. So what we're doing now is 55 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: we're saying, look, we really are putting money into it. 56 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 2: We've been banking the Peace dividend as it's called for 57 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: thirty five years and now actually defense is starting to 58 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 2: get rebuilt. They're appreciating it. Other friends are appreciating it, 59 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 2: and we're just getting on with the job good. 60 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 1: So appreciate it, Defense Minister Judith Colins. 61 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,679 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 62 00:02:58,840 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 2: news talks. 63 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 64 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.