I don't know what New Zealand press has been drinking but the 'lovies' have suddenly had some sort of rush to the head and have been actually doing neutral-ish Defence reporting.
Can we walk the thin line between what some see as an evil empire and others as our greatest economic opportunity? A four-part series investigating China's growing influence in New Zealand.
www.rnz.co.nz
First, there is the Red Line podcast. IMHO actually worthwhile listening to. Sir Key is an interesting cat. Alike with most
polies he has a reasonable ego and his errors in Geopolitics can't negate his many other economic achievements but am I the first to think: yep, you are an idiot (within the interview he states that he isn't). The fact that he knows he is better than the other FVEY leaders who have swung around, against CCP, indicates the size of said ego. I'm guessing that for whatever reason his national security briefings while PM were not given his full attention.
The former US National Security Advisor is warning New Zealand over its economic reliance on China and says we must decide between 'sovereignty and servitude'.
www.rnz.co.nz
Second, out of the same podcast comes US Gen McMasters warnings. "
I don't think it's in any country's interests to give the CCP coercive power over your economy: object lesson is Australia right now." Very similar to what Minister Mahuta has officially stated in a diplomatic and slightly Te Maori confusing way.
Third, is Minister Henare and his thoughts this week that have already been discussed here. Some good spinning from COVID cuts and 'Labour stamp' to now just 'Delays'. I'm not really sure how the media have missed these delays have such an operational capability effect.
Labour's spending up big on the military, but not everyone's happy about that, writes Bryce Edwards.
www.rnz.co.nz
Finally, this long Opinion piece by Mr Bryce Edwards. Neutral-ish, but because this is Aoteroa the media have a target fixation on Peace, anti-US/the orange one, how wonderful and safe we are in the South Pacific and everyone in the world loves us. Within, there is a relevant reference to Simon Ewing-Jarvies writings: "... can accept, also, that the New Zealand public is naïve and complacent about threats to this country and choose to do something about that. Not everyone loves Kiwis."
My question for the better-informed forum members, please: unlike Simon Ewing-Jarvie, I assume that measuring annual defence expenditure against GDP is a useful if blunt, metric to use? Certainly, it appears more relevant than Labour and National quoting $B spending over decades. It does for example underscore the lack of expenditure over the last decades of "benign strategic environment" and provides an immediate goal. I totally understand that having the money is just the first step and you actually need to spend the resources in a coherent way. However, it does, for example, provides a comparison to other nations like Australia or the NATO average/goals.
If so, for all its simplification why does the media not use it?