Mark Cameron: ACT Defence Spokesperson on the need to increase New Zealand's defence spend

The ACT Party argues the re-election of Donald Trump is another reason for New Zealand to ramp up its Defence spend.  

It's proposing an investment of at least 2% of GDP, with the current spend sitting at 0.9%. 

ACT's defence spokesperson Mark Cameron says the world is becoming a less safe and predictable place, and New Zealand needs to pull its weight in traditional alliances.  

He told Tim Beveridge that its incumbent on our crown to spend a bit more on investing in the men and women who wear our national colours every day to protect our national interests. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:17):
Donald Trump is moving back into the White House next week,
and the act Party reckons we're going to have to
spend more money on our defense. Donald Trump had this
week called for NATO members to increase their defense spending
to five percent of their GDP. Yes, five, not the
two that talked about earlier. And while we're not a
NATO member, we are a NATO partner, but currently we
spend just zero point nine percent of our GDP on defense.

(00:40):
And Mark Cameron is AT's defense spokesperson.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Hello Wellington, how are we good?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Good?

Speaker 1 (00:47):
So?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
How much more money are we talking about spending in
dollar terms?

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Oh, it's about three and a half billion dollars. It's
a significant investment. But I make the point we've going
to invest in our people and the kit that they
use play our part. That we're no longer in this
benign states. Sadly, as we've seen tevery twenty twenty two
in Ukraine and the Russian invasion and the illegal occupation

(01:11):
of a sovereign state has certainly changed the dynamics and
we've gotten an expansionist autocracies around the world that have
become involvant. I think it's incumbent upon New Zealand to
play its part.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Are you worried about Trump telling us off? Or are
we big enough for them to worry about?

Speaker 3 (01:30):
But I think we've got to play our part. And
sadly that the late nineties and the clerk era which
is certainly has spoken to you know pieces as all encompassing.
Is it the case now? And I think we've seen
at risk of allerseigating the point these autocracies have now changed,

(01:50):
the dynamic, the geopolitical tension around the world has changed,
and there's nothing like standing up for your own for
your own people. And I think it's an incumbent on
our crown. It's been a bit more on investing in
the men and women who we're our national colors every
day to protect our national interest.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Well, you need to get Nicola on side, don't you.
Nicola Willis is not my name.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yes, it's moving the needle to it's moving the needle.
I mean there's genuine savings that can be made through
the trusury. And I think just a couple of points
if I could make them we've seen what David seen
was done with a school lanes program. There's a classic
example of investing in good ideas. I mean over four years,

(02:35):
you would argue there's tens, sorry, hundreds of the minutes, So.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
That was money saved. Though, so we're going to be
spending money.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
How do you think we want to get granted? But
then there's also productivity gains that we as New Zealand,
we're politically hamstrung in every corner, economically hamstrung equally. So
so if we if we not only save these the
sort of investment money that we have made sometimes in
poor decision making, rust dies and making and I can

(03:03):
think of several of them scraped free is free universities
of scrap, first time grants and film subsidies etc. Now
that's put out NATS alternative budget. But then there's release
in the economy allowing people to get about their daily
lives and get the red tape out of people's lives
and we become a productive society. Again, good stuff thinks
there's an argument to you made.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Good stuff, Well, you better schedule that cup of coffee
with nicola and get an earer about it. So I
really appreciate your time this morning. That's Mark Cameron. He's
as Defense spokesperson.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
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