Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the Government looking into joining up with Australia and Fiji's defence pact

New Zealand could soon have its second formal ally, as the Government considers joining Australia and Fiji's defence pact.

Anthony Albanese and Sitiveni Rabuka inked the deal on Monday, promising to come to each other's defence in an attack. 

Prime Minister Chris Luxon's confirmed Cabinet's pondering signing up, and he's spoken to both leaders about it. 

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained what we know so far.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barries with us.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
Barry, good afternoon, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Okay, so we're joining this defense alliance with Fiji, are we?

Speaker 2 (00:04):
I would think almost inevitably. The Prime Minister met with
journalists here in Auckland this afternoon and of course the
Fijian and Australians and our formerly allies. The Prime Minister
said that they already worked with both countries and they'll
see how they can develop this closely aison. It's interesting,

(00:27):
isn't it when you can say where Fiji was some
years ago the military coups, they are now the respected
member of the Pacific again. It's taken some time, but
I think deservedly so. It would make Fiji officially our
seek and ally after the ands deal with the United
States fell over because of our anti nuclear stance. The

(00:49):
Prome Minister has said today he hopes we won't see
another missile being fired by the Chinese, though if we
do sign up.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
To the pet it's pretty unwelcome and concerning the actions
that we've seen, Firing a long range missile into a
nuclear free Pacific goes against the spirit of how we
want to have an ocean of peace in the Pacific.
We don't want to see this becoming standard behavior. We
don't want to see an increasing militarization of the Pacific.
And you know, this is the second activity we've seen
in second in eighteen months.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah, it's interesting, you know, the militarization of the Pacific.
But what they're doing is they're hoping more Pacific countries
sign up to this pact Australia, fig New Zealand and
that'll be expanded. And of course it is sending a
message the Chinese, whether we like it or not, that look,
the Pacific is at one when it comes to their

(01:36):
Western way of life, I guess.

Speaker 4 (01:38):
And they've put all five guns together. Are they going
to take on the Three Pople's Liberation Army Navy.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, well, when you look at it, either if the
Chinese were upset with Australia, if we do sign up,
at least we're on the right side. With the United
States bound to approve NATO's wrapped up. You'll be aware.
In Turkey and not surprisingly, once again, it was the
American President Don Trump who reigned supreme again. Trump lived

(02:03):
participants and observers confused, which led the UN Secretary General
Mark Ruta or Rata I should say, who at last
year's Night Summit, you remember referred to Trump as deaddy,
telling member countries they've got nothing to worry about with
the United States here they are.

Speaker 5 (02:21):
I'm not happy with NATO because of what they did
with Greenland, and I'm not happy with NATO because of
the fact that they didn't want to help us with
the number one state sponsor of terror, that's Iran.

Speaker 6 (02:31):
They were unwilling to help us when we wanted them.
We didn't want them badly, but we did say if
you want to join us, and they all said no.
But when they could have, they weren't there for us,
and we've.

Speaker 7 (02:41):
Been there for them.

Speaker 8 (02:42):
We just concluded a very successful NATO summit here in Turkey.
I just want to say there was tremendous love in
that room. There was tremendous unity in that room lit.

Speaker 7 (02:51):
All half your forceful debates. Sometimes people will argue at
the top of their lungs their points of view, and
others will answer them. And I'm never I'm never worried
about that because in the end, the aron alliines of
democracy is made us stronger. And I always know that
President Trump and the US is completely Committato Natos.

Speaker 8 (03:10):
They respect US as a country. Again. They didn't respect us.
Two years ago they left at us. NATO laughed at us.
Everybody left at us. They don't laugh anymore, no more laughing.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
Well, if they're not laughing, they surely should have been.
After he talked about the Iranian attacks on an American
aircraft carrier.

Speaker 6 (03:31):
Listen, we have an aircraft carrier which is one of
the most beautiful in the world. It's one of the
biggest they everham Lincoln. And a few months ago we
had one hundred and eleven missile shot by the Islamic
Republic of Japan. They were shot at the aircraft carrier
over a period of about one hour.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Well, did you know there seems to be an Islamic
Republic of Japan now involved. So Trump concluded the nota
isomit scathingly, declaring the ceasefire with Iran is over. At
taking Spain, the most trench and NATO critic of the
American's actions in the Middle East.

Speaker 6 (04:03):
I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them,
and with there's scum. You know what scum is. There's scum,
there's sick people. They're led by sick people.

Speaker 7 (04:10):
In Spain.

Speaker 6 (04:11):
Is a wasted cause we don't want to do any
trade business with Spain anymore. By the way, I'd like
you to cut it up. Spain is a terrible partner.
In the know, they don't participate, they don't pay. I
don't want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all
trade with Spain place.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
Well, thank goodness, we're with the leader of the free world.
That's all I can say.

Speaker 4 (04:29):
So you have a theory that he's demean today you do,
is it demeansha Alzheimer's.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
I've talked to a psychologist that understands dementia very well,
and as you heard in that first longuge clip, he
was contradicting himself, totally experts there's a lot of love.
And he went on to say that that love, he said,
if I was cynical, I would say the loves for me,

(04:56):
you know. But you know, honestly, there is something not
quite right there.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
And your theory is it is dementia.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Well, I'm sure. Well I'm not sure because I'm not
a clinical psychologist, but one who does know. She assures
me that there is.

Speaker 4 (05:12):
No psychologists specialize in dementia anyway. Malapropisms like like Japan
versus like Japan in place of a run, are in
fact a sign of dementia.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Well no, well that's a minor part.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
Of what we're going to get. A little dementia.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
Cl is a wonderful man.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Just really quickly on the Taxpayer's Union Curier poll. Anything
in there that that that is surprising to you, because
it feels like a kind of situation is normal one
it is.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
I mean, nothing much as it means that the government
would be returned. This is the current coalition, the Opportunities
Party there are at about three point six percent. That's
still well under that five but who knows. I mean,
it looks as though at the stage the current coalition
would be returned to very thing.

Speaker 5 (06:00):
Very much.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
Appreciate it, Bary So for seeing your political correspondent.

Speaker 4 (06:03):
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