Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the Government unveiling their latest multi-billion dollar defence spend

The Government's speaking about the importance of deterring threats, as it confirms a multi-billion dollar defence spend.

It's investing $2.7 billion dollars for two new Airbus A321 planes to replace ageing planes that have broken down numerous times.

The new planes will be delivered in 2028.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper talks about the potential implications of this spend.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry Sooper, Senior Political Correspondence with US.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Hello, Barry, Good afternoon, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Okay, so we've got the big, big defense spend announced.

Speaker 3 (00:06):
Well, yes it is, and those seven to five sevens
are finally going to be replaced. Thank goodness for that.
I mean I've traveled, I've almost got a gold card
on those things. I've traveled on them since they got
them virtually, and you know, the breaking down of them
could never you could never be assured of having a
faultless trip.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
So they're going.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
But the money for those will be spent in Europe,
which is interesting because they're rear busses. But if you
look at the Seahawk helicopters, they're going to get five
of those. Now that's lockeed Martin, which is of course
an American company. And asked Judith Collins, I know you're
going to be talking to her after five o'clock, but
she was asked today if this could be used as

(00:49):
a sweetener by our trade minister Todd McLay, who just
happens to be in Washington today to talk about those
fifteen percent tariffs.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Judith Collins says she wouldn't presume to tell mister McLay.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
What to do.

Speaker 4 (01:03):
I don't know because I'm not his mother and I
haven't told him what to do.

Speaker 5 (01:08):
Well.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
Number one, we never discussed what goes on cabinet Number two,
as Minister Peters rightly said in one of my own
survival mechanisms is to stay in my own lane. But
I think it is obvious that we are buying the
best equipment that we can for our people with the
money we have available to meet our needs and our

(01:29):
interoperability requirements. So in terms of that, that will be
up to the Minister for Trade, who I have to
say is doing an outstanding job and doesn't need my guidance.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
So Donald Trump will be happy, although it won't make
up that deficit in terms of trade worth three and
a half billion dollars in credit to America, So we're
not going to speak.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
Hold on, is it three and a half billion annually?

Speaker 3 (01:55):
It swept three and a half billion the last figures
that was annually.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
I think it's annually, right, So if you do it
on a monthly basis, we might be okay with.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
If Tom McClay could be persuaded, but I doubt.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
It somehow, Yeah, hopefully fingers Cross. What's labor strategy for
winning next year.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well, it's really interesting, isn't it that, Chris. There's been
a lot of talk about labor really doing very little,
and it's true, no policy letting the government they would say,
hang themselves. Well, Chris Hipkins admitted today that they weren't
prepared enough for the government when Winston Peters handed the

(02:32):
reins over to Jacinda durn in twenty seventeen. But if
you listen to him on Carey Woodham Show this morning,
they're not going to make that mistake again.

Speaker 5 (02:42):
We weren't as well prepared for being in government in
twenty seventeen as we need it to be, and I
think I was more prepared than some of the others.
But I'm determined as a leader of the party that
next time around our MPs will all be ready. You know,
we're doing a lot of professional development with our team,
you know, getting people, getting external people in this government
to some extender. As bad as our government was in
promising things which they haven't been able to deliver.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
Well, he hasn't got to Willow Jean yet, has he.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Well he also hasn't got to Peni Heinada. No, you know,
he's Henard saying quite categorically at that debate last night
that gang patches will be back on the gang members'
backs after the next tileection.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Can you just really quickly, just really quickly explain to
me the calculation. Why do they chase ten thousand gang
votes at the expense of what must be so many
more normal people votes?

Speaker 3 (03:29):
I don't, I do not know. I mean you could say,
and I heard your postulation on this that normally a
person speaks to the truth when they say it first, yes,
and then now they've had time to sort of cover
it up. But look, that to me has to be
Labor Party policy. I mean, why would Peni Henarde say it?

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Quite? That's what I'm saying, immediately and without hesitations.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
You speak the truth the first time around, exactly. Okay,
what's happening to the ability to take strike action?

Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, certainly Brooked van Walden is playing a funny game,
I think, And as the teacher strike of course yesterday,
Van Walden was pressed further by Labour's Jentinetti in Parliament
this afternoon about the government's plans for strikes and given
the teachers union strikes, but in my view she was
being altogether too smart. See what you think.

Speaker 6 (04:18):
I cannot rule in arount future changes in any policy
area because government decisions are made at cabinet. Will the
government introduce barriers such as mandatory mediation periods prior to
people being legally able to strike? I would highly suspect.

Speaker 4 (04:36):
If the question keeps going down.

Speaker 6 (04:38):
This line, you might be starting to give the government
a lot of thoughts. Will the government introduce limitations on
when strikes can start, such as only allowing strikes during
the school holidays. The member may wish to stop giving
other colleagues of mine some ideas.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
She's got your go to Brooks, got your gos?

Speaker 2 (05:01):
You did get irritated stopping a smarter? Just answer the question.

Speaker 1 (05:06):
I can tell Verry. Thanks very much, Verry so for
senior political correspondent.

Speaker 5 (05:10):
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