Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese have raised the issue that a cyberattack on one country could trigger a joint co-operation under trans-Tasman agreements.
The discussion of cyber-warfare was one of the main issues raised by the two leaders at a joint press conference in Canberra on Friday.
Luxon said the nature of modern warfare had changed, and while it would require a "pretty severe cyberattack" to trigger Article IV of the ANZUS Treaty, which recognises an "armed attack in the Pacific Area on any parties" would be dangerous to the others, it was now a factor that needed to be considered.
Albanese said its military and signals defences were being tested by cyberattacks, which can now have "as great an impact as an attack from traditional means".
"The way we've viewed it is changing, an attack on an economy can bring down the operation of an entire society," he told reporters in Canberra.
Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese hold a joint media conference on August 16, 2024. Photo: RNZ
Albanese was also asked by New Zealand media to explain how he could justify sending Australian-raised criminals, referred to as 501s, back to New Zealand when they are contributing to the country's gang and crime problem.
The Australian prime minister took issue with the framing of it, and started by saying, "not withstanding the provocative nature of the tone in the question".
Albanese went on to say, "whilst we have common purpose, we don't have uniform position, but we respect each other's position".
He said the safety of Australians was his number one consideration but he would also continue to apply "common sense" - something Luxon noted had been raised by him in his meeting with Albanese and believed was understood.
On whether New Zealand should join AUKUS pillar two - an intelligence and technology sharing agreement - Albanese said he thinks there's opportunities for New Zealand.
"What we're talking about here is technology and its application... it makes sense to engage like-minded countries."
Another area under consideration in defence is putting senior staff from both countries' defence forces into each other's headquarters to improve inter-operability.
Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese hold a joint media conference on August 16, 2024. Photo: RNZ
Albanese said that decision to embed each other's senior military staff in both countries only further highlights why it would make sense for New Zealand to be part of pillar two.
The relationship between the two leaders was clear in their joint press conference today with both happily ribbing each other about Olympic and sporting results and Albanese laughing off a reminder that Luxon had in Parliament last week referenced needing to keep things "simple" when talking to Australians.
Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese hold a joint media conference on August 16, 2024. Photo: RNZ
Albanese noted, "this is a great relationship that has always had a sense of humour in the middle of it".
The ties between the two countries are "older than our democracies and our connections are so strong we are regarded as family", Albanese said.
Initiatives around reducing climate emissions, better people to people connections and supporting Pacific neighbours were also widely discussed in their meeting on Friday.
"New Zealand and Australia continue to share the load... and do that heavy-lifting together," Albanese said.
He also sent a message of support to Turkey on behalf of both prime ministers, as wildfires come close to cemeteries of ANZAC soldiers on Gallipoli peninsula.
"This is, of course, sacred ground for us," Albanese said.
This is Luxon's third time visiting Australia since becoming prime minister, but his first official trans-Tasman leadership meeting with his counterpart.
In a foreign policy speech in Sydney on Thursday, Luxon said New Zealand "must be a participant and a contributor - not an interested bystander" in international affairs.
Last year, New Zealand and Australia celebrated 40 years of the Closer Economic Relations trade agreement, that allows people to live, work, trade and businesses to grow and invest more easily between the two nations.
Australia is one of New Zealand's biggest trading partners, with two-way trade worth more than $31 billion last year.
The trade and economic relationship is important as New Zealand navigates its independent foreign policy, balancing ties with China as it flirts with the possibility of joining AUKUS Pillar Two.
