The Pentagon is "positive" about New Zealand’s increased defence spending, which includes the purchase of US helicopters, according to Defence Minister Judith Collins.
She spoke to 1News after her meeting with US President Donald Trump’s Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, in Washington DC today.
“We discussed all sorts of opportunities that we have working together – particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, but also the very close relationship we have – there are the Sea Hawk Helicopters that we are buying [from the US], we also talked about some of the issues that we have in relation to some of the foreign military sales rules, and ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) agreements to try and get though those and make it easier for New Zealand to do business in the yes.”
Those US rules control the import and export of technology related to defence, which Minister Collins described as “out of date” and she said do not take into account the fact that New Zealand has a fast-growing tech industry.
“We have lots of businesses – and growing – in the technology and defence industry area that want to be able to get access into the US markets, so what I wanted to do was raise any barriers and let the US know we are building our defence industry.”
Collins and Hegseth also spoke about the New Zealand Government’s plan to spend billions of dollars improving the NZ Defence Force to make it more combat ready.
“We also discussed the work of our defence force with Australia…and our Defence Capability Plan, which the Pentagon was very positive about,” said Collins.
Trump has demanded that US allies increased their own defence spending and rely less on America.
“They are very pleased that we are stepping up and doing more ourselves,” said Collins.
She also raised concern about competition over rare earth minerals access among the world’s superpowers in the Pacific and Antarctica.
The meeting came at a tense time in the Pentagon.
Just last Friday most of the Pentagon press corps handed in their press passes and vacated their officers after refusing to sign a pledge demanded of them by Hegseth’s office. Among other things, it would require them to promise to only report on information officially released by the Pentagon.
Critics have described the move as an attack on not just the free press, but on democracy itself.
1News was also barred from covering the meeting with Hegseth today, after previously having accreditation approved. US Correspondent Logan Church was only told he wasn’t allowed into the building as Judith Collins arrived at the Pentagon, escorted by an honour guard.
That meeting was the only opportunity to put questions to Hegseth and have an unfiltered view of opening discussions between the leaders.
The move came as news to the New Zealand Embassy in Washington DC, who had been assisting with accreditation, and the Minister herself.
“I had no Idea that you had been [barred] until after we were told, that was obviously too late for us to intervene because we didn’t know this had happened,” Collins said after her meeting.
“I think the fact is the Pentagon has to make its own arrangements around media but obviously we asked for you to be there.”
Hegseth controversial
The Secretary of War himself is also a controversial figure.
He summoned every US general and admiral stationed at home or abroad to give them a speech in late September that focussed on returning the armed forces to traditional standards, taking aim at diversity policies, women serving in the military and people he considered to be overweight.
“Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations or really any formation and see fat troops,” he said. “Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country in the world. It's a bad look.”
1News asked Collins if that aligned with New Zealand’s values.
“We all have shared values around things like democracy, we also have shared values around things like human rights, we also have very long histories. No one was raising those issues with me today,” she said.
“I’ve met Pete Hegseth before in Singapore, I think he is someone who deeply cares about his country and deeply cares about his troops.”
With great power comes great responsibility - veteran
One US military veteran 1News spoke to at the anti-Trump protests in DC these past few days was appalled at Hegseth’s leadership.
Doc Farrow served for six years, including 16 months in Iraq. Like Hegseth, after the military he ended up on television – Farrow is perhaps most famously known as ‘Coach Wilkins’ in Young Sheldon.
He spoke at length to 1News about how the US military was changing.
“I watched Pete Hegseth address the United States military. What I can tell you after being in the military is that that is not a leader. Firstly, a leader would stop and ask you ‘what do you need’. Those generals have been doing this longer than he’s been a live,” he said.
“Second, I’m upset because what I listened to in his speech is that we are going to purify the military, and make it all white males, it sounded like they were going to invade America and he was telling people who have spent a career serving this country that if you don’t like what I’m doing then you can just f***ing leave – and that pissed me off.
“When I ask the people I served with – my marines and sailors, when I talk to them – I ask who they will follow into combat. I never get a good answer when it comes to Hegseth or Donald Trump.”
He said America had responsibilities to not just its partners like New Zealand, but the world, given its power.
“America has played big brother to a lot of countries because we have that power – what we are failing is the responsibility that comes with that power. We have power but to exert that force in the way of a bully I disagree with,” he said.
“Do we have to rely on Spider Man saying ‘with great power comes great responsibility’? The power that is given to us should be to help as many people as we can.”
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