Chris Hipkins says it was good that the foreign minister is currently in China but the prime minister should also visit. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Labour leader Chris Hipkins says Foreign Minister Winston Peters must have a frank and open conversation with his Chinese counterpart about China's warships in the Tasman Sea.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, with China's warships in the Tasman Sea and its deal with the Cook Islands on the agenda.
Hipkins said Peters should directly raise New Zealand's concerns about the lack of notice with live-firing in the Tasman Sea with his Chinese counterpart.
"So while China may have been within international law, the fact that no notice was given, my understanding is the Australians found out about this when Jetstar radioed in the fact that they had been told to divert their plane, that's not good enough really, that suggests that public safety was at risk here because of a lack of notice."
Hipkins said when he visited China two years ago he found that "a frank and open conversation was very possible" but it did not mean that the Chinese government would agree.
"But I think New Zealand's relationship with China must be characterised by frank openness on issues that we disagree on."
Hipkins said it was good that Winston Peters was currently in China, but the prime minister should also visit.
"We're almost half our way through the parliamentary term and he (Christopher Luxon) hasn't visited China and they are our largest trading partner and I think it's time that he did."
It was very important to ensure the government-to-government relationship was as strong as possible and that there were open channels of communication, he said.
"It's not an indication that we agree with everything that China's doing, it is a sign that we want to keep an open dialogue with China and I think given where the world is at the moment, I think that's more important than ever."
Defence spending should be set based on what NZ needs - Hipkins
New Zealand spends 1.2 percent of GDP on defence spending according to the World Bank, where as the United Kingdom's defence spending is going to reach 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027 which is three years earlier than had been planned.
Hipkins said New Zealand should not have a defence spending target just for the sake of it.
"I think we should look at what we need to spend the money on and then make decisions on how much to spend based on what we actually need," he said.
"Surely the question is what are we spending money on, and what are we getting for that money and how that's fitting with New Zealand's overall interests and best interests."
One big ticket item will be making decisions about the frigates which will need to be replaced in the next decade or so, he said.
New Zealand's Defence Force came under pressure from search and rescue and disaster response and it was important that there was the capability to do those things well, he said.
"At the moment we know that that's a strain, so some of the naval fleet for example isn't always fit for purpose and we've got some big decisions there. I think those are the decisions we should be having."
Hipkins acknowledged that New Zealand's Defence Force would never be able to defend this country alone saying that was why international relationships were important.
Hipkins says citizen's arrest like opening Pandora's box
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is due to announce changes to citizen's arrest powers, with clearer rules aimed at helping retailers deal with shoplifting.
Goldsmith told Morning Report the government did not want "wild west vigilante-ism" but current laws were not working.
Hipkins said he was alarmed at the idea of citizen's arrest.
"The power to detain someone against their will is a very very big power and at the moment it's largely restricted to the police, the police and Corrections are the only people who can do that, it's a law and order issue.
"I think the idea that fellow citizens could be detaining other citizens without any real legal training, law enforcement power or anything like that - it's a massive step."
If the government were to announce citizen's arrest it would raise international headlines but not for the right reasons, Hipkins said.
"I think this is just opening a Pandora's box and it's pretty dangerous territory."
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