New Zealand defence spending debate

The story so far

In February 2025 Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand aims to spend close to 2% of GDP on defence, following pressure from US President Donald Trump for allies to increase military spending.^{18 Feb 2025} Two defence experts warned that the ageing navy is underfunded and insufficient for protecting national waters, as the ship Te Kaha left Auckland for a Middle East task force.^{21 Feb 2025} Winston Peters said New Zealand must increase defence spending to meet the expectations of trading partners, pointing to the United Kingdom's plan to raise its spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.^{1 Mar 2025} In March, Luxon rejected claims that New Zealand Defence Force civilian job cuts were caused by insufficient funding, arguing that higher defence spending is essential for prosperity.^{21 Mar 2025}

Latest

Luxon defended the civilian job cuts while speaking from HMNZS Te Kaha in Mumbai during his India visit, and dismissed criticism of the coalition's defence investment.^{21 Mar 2025}

Key moments

1. 18 Feb 2025Luxon says New Zealand aims to spend close to 2% of GDP on defence.
2. 21 Feb 2025Experts say the ageing navy is underfunded and insufficient for protecting waters.
3. 1 Mar 2025Peters says defence spending must rise to meet trading partners' expectations.
4. 21 Mar 2025Luxon rejects claims that defence civilian job cuts stem from underfunding.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.