Former Australian Home Affairs Secretary Calls For Integrated ANZAC Military Force

The New Zealand Initiative will release a revealing podcast tomorrow featuring Michael Pezzullo, former Secretary of the Australian Department of Home Affairs, who makes a stark call for an integrated Australia-New Zealand military force to counter rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the wide-ranging interview with The New Zealand Initiative's Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich, Pezzullo makes several newsworthy statements, including:

• Calling for New Zealand to commit to Australia's defence through an "integrated ANZAC force" with combined command structures and joint units specifically for territorial defence
• Suggesting New Zealand reconsider its anti-nuclear stance to join the AUKUS security pact as a full partner
• Warning of a "10 to 20 percent chance" of conflict with China, which he describes as high enough that both countries should make serious preparations

"The defence of New Zealand actually starts at the outer edge of the Australian territorial sphere," Pezzullo states in the interview. "If Australia goes down, if Australia is militarily defeated or has its sovereignty severely impacted by military coercion, then New Zealand is next."

The former security chief argues that New Zealand's current defence spending of 1.2% of GDP is insufficient and suggests revitalising the 1944 Australia-New Zealand military alliance while integrating armed forces for territorial defence.

The full podcast will be available tomorrow via The New Zealand Initiative's website and major podcast platforms.

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