Labour leader Chris Hipkins says Kiwis realise the world is a much more volatile place. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Labour leader Chris Hipkins says an increase in defence spending is justified regardless of whether New Zealanders support it or not.
But as it turns out, according to the new RNZ-Reid Research poll, more than half of respondents do support a boost to defence spending.
The survey, conducted last month, also revealed people's views of New Zealand's relationship with China and the United States are fairly similar, with the US marginally favoured as more of a friend, and less of a foe, than China.
Hipkins said he was not surprised New Zealanders favoured a rise in defence spending. They would be able to observe the world was a more volatile place, however, a "nuanced" discussion was needed on what would suit the country best.
He believed most would favour Defence Force capability in the areas of disaster response and recovery, including helping out in the Pacific in the event of natural disasters.
The Defence Force would struggle to handle more than one disaster at a time, citing the example of Cyclone Gabrielle and the good fortune that it did not coincide with any other event in the Pacific.
New Zealand also needed to consider what it would need to defend itself in the event of global conflict.
This has changed considerably in recent times, he said, using Ukraine as an example.
"Technology's fundamentally changed the nature of their defence, and so we need to look at that new technology and look at what New Zealand might have different in terms of our capability in the future."
The country's role in other conflicts was also important, given its history of being peacekeepers in several countries and helping to secure "the international rules based order".
Peters resorting to 'despicable politics'
Regarding the controversy that has arisen over an old social media post by Green MP Benjamin Doyle, Hipkins accused NZ First leader Winston Peters of getting out a megaphone to attack minorities.
"I think that's pretty despicable politics frankly."
He expressed a hope that any social media posts containing sexual innuendo from Labour MPs would have been picked up early on and then removed.
"The language there is new to me ...I do think it would be better if that post had been removed."
Hipkins said it must be remembered people would have had many different experiences before entering politics and would probably also have changed their views on some topics.
Asked if the Greens had fallen short with their screening of potential candidates, he said that was for them to answer.
While his party took care with background checks and risk evaluation, there was no such thing as "a 100 percent foolproof system".
"Things get missed ..."
Defence of Te Pāti Māori
The Labour leader says Te Pāti Māori has raised legitimate concerns in refusing to appear before Parliament's privilege's committee today].
Te Pāti Māori MPs' absence from Privileges Committee won't stop hearing - law expert
MPs Rawiri Waititi, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke are refusing to attend the hearings saying they are being denied natural justice.
Hipkins told Morning Report he understands some of their concerns around not being allowed a tikanga expert and their lawyer Christopher Finlayson not being available to attend.
He believed the MPs should attend the hearing but the questions they were raising around the nature of the hearing were valid.
"This is unchartered territory for Parliament. I don't think there are clear rules around it because we haven't broached this sort of situation before.
"To some extent Parliament will be creating new precedent as it goes along and so I think some external advice on that is not unreasonable for the Māori Party to ask."
Haka had been welcomed in Parliament in some circumstances previously and it was important to hear a range of views on when they could be performed, Hipkins said.
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