Source: New Zealand Government
Welcome to you all – it is a pleasure to be here this evening.
I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me.
This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in 2023 provided outstanding service to Defence.
We do this because without that service the New Zealand Defence Force’s ability to advance the security of New Zealanders would be diminished.
This evening is a great opportunity to share with you my key focus areas since assuming the role as the Minister of Defence last year – something I consider to be a great privilege.
I will also give you my thoughts on the opportunities for industry in partnering with Defence to deliver those priorities.
New Zealand is facing a strategic environment which is deteriorating at a rate not seen in many decades.
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the Houthi attacks against commercial and naval shipping in the Red Sea are emblematic of an international rules-based order under significant pressure from forces with ambitions and values that are diametrically opposed to our own.
Importantly, the Government’s commitments to supporting the defence of Ukraine and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea also signal that New Zealand is committed to being an active and constructive partner in defending our national interests when and where they are threatened.
This has been welcomed by our closest friend, Australia, and our long-standing partners, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
In February, the Foreign Minister and I jointly met with our Australian counterparts in Melbourne. At that meeting, both sides affirmed our commitment:
• to strengthening the Australia-New Zealand alliance;
• to increasing integration between our Defence Forces; and
• the value of the Five Eyes partnership as a crucial enabler of intelligence sharing and security cooperation.
We also undertook to explore the opportunities that may be available to New Zealand under AUKUS Pillar II – work that is currently ongoing.
I note that following the meeting there has been some commentary about our reference to the enduring nature of the ANZUS Treaty.
I found that surprising.
Australia and New Zealand have long benefitted from the critical role played by the United States in underpinning regional security in Asia and the Pacific, and we want that to continue.
Whilst the current Defence Capability Plan has been in place since 2019, I do not need to tell you that implementation has been challenging.
This is why I have accelerated the development of options for a new Defence Capability Plan, due with me next month ahead of consideration by Cabinet.
A theme in my engagements with companies and leaders working with Defence is that in the absence of a meaningful Defence Capability Plan, industry does not have the certainty it needs to plan.
Given the size of some future investment decisions, which includes replacement of nearly all of the Navy’s surface fleet, providing planning certainty is critical.
I am also aware that for industry the first casualty of not having planning certainty, and hence not having the ability to engage early, is innovation.
Addressing the current state of the Defence Estate will require innovation and new approaches.
Whilst media often comment on the age of the NZDF’s capabilities, much of the infrastructure supporting those platforms is considerably older and is no longer fit-for-purpose.
Addressing this will require new approaches and private capital.
To this end, the Government is very open to opportunities for the private sector to invest its capital to deliver high-quality infrastructure for the New Zealand Defence Force in the form of Public Private Partnerships, where it makes sense to do so.
As we work through our future investment intentions for Defence one thing is front of mind. A priority for both myself and Associate Minister of Defence Chris Penk will be to work with you to ensure that local industry is given every opportunity to compete for a share of this investment.
Looking ahead, the nature of the opportunity for industry in supporting Defence is changing.
Many of the companies here tonight got their start in Defence in the 1990s with the ANZAC frigate project, which drove a major uplift in domestic manufacturing capability.
A not-so-subtle hint on where I see the next catalyst for change in Defence industry are my portfolios and how they interconnect – defence, space, the intelligence agencies, and science, innovation and technology.
Disruptive and advanced capabilities, and the requirement to get the technological advantage offered by those capabilities into service quicker, is the modern-day catalyst for change in your sector.
New Zealand’s research and high-tech sectors can play a leadership role in the development of disruptive and advanced capabilities.
We are already doing this in the space sector where ground-breaking work in such areas as hypersonics and quantum computing have given New Zealand what our partners would call an asymmetric advantage in a market dominated by much larger players.
A lesson from the space sector is that having the smartest people is not enough. You need the right regulatory settings, infrastructure and international connections.
Having one of the world widest launch angles also helps.
My last point is cautionary one.
Putting on one of my other hats, businesses wanting to support Defence need to be alert to the willingness and determination by foreign groups and states to act against New Zealand in ways to undermine our security.
We are, and must remain, conscious of the threats posed by cyber interference.
As Defence looks to work more closely with industry, we will take into account factors such as having robust cyber protections in place.
To conclude I would like to return our focus to the present, and the reason we are all here this evening.
That is to celebrate and congratulate the hard working, innovative and supportive finalists and winners of tonight’s awards.
Without doubt you all deserve recognition for your exceptional services to the New Zealand Defence Force and Ministry of Defence to the benefit of New Zealand.
Through your excellence and service, you have earned not only the respect of those who put you forward for an award, but those of us who are here with you tonight to celebrate your achievements.
Thank you and good luck.
