1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Seventeen five on newstalk z B. New Zealand's been hosting 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: the South Pacific Defense Ministers Meeting in Auckland. It includes 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: defense ministers from Australia, Feegen around the Pacific and they 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: have discussed approaches to non traditional security challenges and regional 5 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,319 Speaker 1: security risks. The group has decided to immediately establish a 6 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: new Pacific Response Group which will create greater certainty to 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: Pacific island countries in advance of an incident. Judith Collins 8 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: is the Defense Minister and is with us this evening. 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: Good evening is a non traditional security challenge just a 10 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: code word for China. No. 11 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 2: I think it's the fact that we are dealing with 12 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 2: a whole lot of security challenges, whether it's the effects 13 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 2: of climate change, the volcanos, all those sorts of things, 14 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 2: or else. It's in particular the transnational crime that is 15 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 2: unfortunately come into the Pacific and it's all about drugs 16 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 2: and that's sort of behavior and money laundering. So yeah, 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 2: they're not what people need necessarily think about as defense issues, 18 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: but they absolutely are. 19 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: How much does China factor in your conversations? 20 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 2: We certainly spoke something of that. I mean, I think 21 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: everybody was very disappointed that regarding China's intercontinental ballistic missile test, 22 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 2: people didn't know about it. New Zealand was told a 23 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: couple of hours beforehand in Beijing, but most of the people, 24 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 2: most of the countries over whose territory it would have flown, 25 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 2: did not know about it. And people felt that that 26 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 2: was unwelcomed, unexpected and unnecessary tell. 27 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: Us about this new force. 28 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, so something we discussed last year in December, our 29 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: very first we call it the Spudham Meeting, and we 30 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 2: thought it's an Australian idea. We think it's a great idea. 31 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 2: We've talked about it, worked on it all year and 32 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 2: potentially it's based in Brisbane to start with. It'll have 33 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 2: a couple of senior people from New Zealand, from Tonga, 34 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: from all around the Pacific militaries and what they're going 35 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: to be doing is getting to find out what people 36 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 2: have got being able to coordinate responses to emergencies so 37 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 2: that not everybody is charging in the same equipment or 38 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 2: the same assistance. So if we take for example, what's 39 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 2: happened in Tonga in the relatively recent past around the 40 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 2: Honga Hunger volcanic eruption best if we're all understanding what 41 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: everyone else is bringing and also, by the way, making 42 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 2: sure that Tonga and any others of their country wants 43 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: what we've had rather than us just presuming we know. 44 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: So that's what this is all about. 45 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: So you've got that, that's the advisory team that makes 46 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: up part of the Pacific Response Group, right, But would 47 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: the response group, once it's established, would that respond to 48 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,239 Speaker 1: security threats as well as natural disasters? 49 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: Well, we felt that the it's actually not creating its 50 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 2: own military like that. It's about really it's a coordination response. 51 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 2: So perhaps the last issue where situation security situation where 52 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 2: Pacific countries were involved in a response was in the 53 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 2: Solomons in the Ramsey response and you remember Australian, MW 54 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: Zealand and all around the Pacific were involved in that. 55 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: And this is actually giving that some sort of structure 56 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: so that we can work together to do those sorts 57 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: of things better because we know that even though we 58 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 2: are a very peaceful ocean, every now and again something's 59 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 2: going to happen and we need to be prepared. 60 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: But it basically means that that if there is a 61 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: natural disaster, or if there is a security threat and 62 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: this group is invited in in the future you go 63 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: in alongside the Australians, alongside other countries with a coordinated 64 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: group or force in order to respond. 65 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 2: You haven't got it in a nutshell, but on invitation. 66 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 2: It's working together. I mean, these are the nations in 67 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 2: the South specific who have military capability. And you know, 68 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 2: the question is why wouldn't we want to work together. 69 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 2: We've already worked together and it's just giving it structure. 70 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: Could they be armed? 71 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: We hadn't thought about that. I would expect that it 72 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: would only be if that was what the host country wanted, 73 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 2: and even then only if we wanted it. Obviously there 74 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 2: are times when that might be necessary, but hopefully not, 75 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 2: and more likely it will be around natural disasters. 76 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: Hey, thanks for your time. We appreciate it. Oh but 77 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: before I let you go, do you see your numbers 78 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: today for mood of the boardroom? Oh? 79 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 2: Do you know what I did? Even though I've been 80 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 2: so busy today, there. 81 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: Was one notification that made it through. Yeah. 82 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 2: Strangely that's that one got through. 83 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: Well, congratulations. Fifth best performer according to More the mood 84 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: of the borderom out of Cabinet, which is yeah, you know, 85 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: very you can be very pleased with that. 86 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 2: It's a number. You know, we're all part of the table, 87 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 2: working hard. 88 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: If it's anything like like media ratings, you've got to 89 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: celebrate them when they're good, because when they're bad, you 90 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: always feel stinct. Thanks Judith. That is Defense Minister Judith Collins. 91 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: Right now, it's twenty two past five. For more from 92 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 1: Hither Duplessy Alan Drive, listen live to news talks it'd 93 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 1: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.