Christopher Luxon speaks to the media on his Australia visit.
Increasing militarisation of the Pacific is leading the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Australia to prioritise defence force co-operation in their first official meeting.
Regional security, a central topic in yesterday’s discussions, was also referenced in comments about the Aukus security pact, Christopher Luxon saying the possibility of joining the technology-focused Pillar 2 would be investigated next year but wouldn’t commit to a decision being made in 2024.
Luxon also raised his disappointment with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese regarding a deportation of a Kiwi citizen that appeared to conflict with Australia’s recently softened 501 deportation regime.
The heavy focus on security and the wider Pacific region was a slight departure from previous meetings between New Zealand and Australian PMs, which often centred around citizenship and deportation issues.
The Australian Collins-class submarines, pictured, will be replaced by nuclear-powered subs with technology provided by the US under Aukus. Photo / Australian Defence Force
It was Luxon’s first official meeting with another world leader since becoming Prime Minister, but the former Air New Zealand chief executive said he felt “very natural, very relaxed” with Albanese, a former Transport Minister.
The interoperability of the New Zealand and Australian Defence Forces was a priority for Luxon and Albanese, the former promising more effort from New Zealand.
“We have a region that is increasingly contested and competitive, we have countries within the region that are actually increasingly investing in military capability.
“So I just want to make sure that we are very aligned, that we are driving more interoperability and in particular, we can be a force multiplier for Australia and vice versa.
“I want us to get very aligned in a hardware sense as well as in a software sense with the Australian military forces.”
President Joe Biden speaks after meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Photo / AP
Luxon didn’t directly reference China in his remarks about geo-strategic competition in the Pacific. When asked whether he discussed China’s presence in the Pacific with Albanese, Luxon remained vague.
“We talked about the greater geo-strategic deterioration in the region, making sure that it’s a contested and a competitive space, making sure that we’re acting in our own respective interests.”
During a joint press conference, Luxon announced his Defence, Economic and Foreign Affairs ministers would meet their Australian counterparts early in the New Year to ensure the countries were aligned.
Albanese had also invited Luxon to attend a meeting of the leaders from Southeast Asia’s Asean bloc in Melbourne next March.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney. Photo / Adam Pearse
Luxon and Albanese spoke of their interest in Aukus and how their two countries would be involved in the security pact.
Luxon wanted to investigate the technology-focused Pillar 2 of the agreement but said there was no “real timeline” for a decision to be reached.
Albanese, who is set to receive nuclear-propelled submarines through the pact, was typically supportive of the agreement but said he wouldn’t be pushing Luxon to join.
“Certainly, we see Aukus as being very important for promoting stability and security in the Pacific,” he said.
Under previous Prime Ministers, the issue of 501 deportation - criminally offending Kiwi citizens in Australia getting sent back to New Zealand - had been a sore subject as many who had been deported had little connection to New Zealand, aside from being a citizen.
Earlier this year, Albanese committed to a more “common sense approach” that would factor in how long people had lived in Australia.
The number of deportees had significantly reduced since the regime change.
However, the Herald recently reported an Australian grandfather was deported from Australia for decades of criminal offending, despite claiming he would struggle in New Zealand as he hadn’t lived there since he was a baby in the 1960s.
Luxon, while speaking with New Zealand media, said he had raised his “disappointment” over the matter but remained confident the new approach would continue.
“I think there are early indications that we’re starting to see the [deportee] numbers start to come down.”
The tenor of exchanges between the pair appeared warm and friendly.
Hosting Luxon on a rare wet day in Sydney, Albanese twice apologised for the weather. Luxon laughed it off, noting Albanese’s most recent visit to Wellington was during “horizontal rain”.
In their informal talks, the pair discussed the Queensland fires, Albanese referencing the innovative solutions some residents had resorted to in order to save their neighbours.
Luxon drew comparisons with actions during Cyclone Gabrielle and thanked Albanese for Australia’s support during that period.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
