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Indefensible New Zealand

Author: Simon Ewing-Jarvie

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New Zealand's national security is rarely discussed in detail outside a small group of government officials and academics. The Indefensible New Zealand podcast is designed to change that with a wide ranging and ongoing conversation that everyone can understand. Free of the constraints of word limits and sound bites, the host, Simon Ewing-Jarvie, presents a fascinating, 'whole of government' view of what needs to be done to keep Kiwis safe - now and in the future. And by future, we mean this series looks out to 2050 and beyond. Many guests will appear on this show - some whose names you'll recognise and others you will never have heard of. Together, they help to bring this important topic to life.
41 Episodes
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A challenging discussion about the need to transform the personnel in the New Zealand Defence Force.
With the NZ Defence Capability Framework currently being worked on, Simon takes an alternative analysis and alternative futures view of how the NZDF could look.
I have a vision of a New Zealand society bound together with a common thread of service to the country no matter when or from where you came here. Shared stories that come from a programme where the rich, poor, immigrant and tangata whenua all have an uncommon experience together.Voluntary national service or VNS is one tool in achieving that vision. There are three main problems that VNS seeks to address:Lack of social cohesion Migration imbalanceThe global failure in the western w...
This episode was produced in the run-up to the new government’s first budget later in May. There is an expectation of increased spending on Defence. That remains to be seen but if there is, what should it be on?A lot of discussion takes place around what sort of hardware and how many people the New Zealand Defence Force needs to have in order to achieve its mission.Considerably less discussion focuses on what the Government and people of New Zealand need to do to allow the NZDF to achieve tha...
The New Zealand Defence Force has a number of well documented problems. Even at full strength, it lacks the mass, firepower and sustainability to engage in medium to high intensity conflict. However, at the moment it also has significant recruitment, retention, morale and mental health problems. The latter extends to the veteran community as well.All service chiefs are due for replacement in the next few weeks and months. With a new defence (Hon Judith Collins) and associate defence minister ...
A Better National Day

A Better National Day

2024-02-0512:03

Recorded on 6 February 2024 which is Waitangi Day in New Zealand. Simon discusses the lack of meaning of the national day for most New Zealanders. The discussion then travels to thinking about how the NZ Defence Force epitomises an effective multi-cultural example of unity for the country and how this could be enhanced while simultaneously dealing with current personnel shortages.The episode ends with a call to make the day less about grievance and appeasement and more about a national celebr...
There has been a lot of speculation about defence since the announcement of the new Cabinet. I would classify much of this as “breathless longing” in that many are joining the dots between last year’s documentary assessments, a deteriorating international security situation, a hollow defence force and a strong national security related ministerial line-up in a new government to incorrectly conclude that Defence is in for a financial sugar rush.That is simply not going to happen for reasons I ...
Welcome to Season 2 of Indefensible New Zealand - the podcast all about New Zealand's national security. In this episode, Dr Simon Ewing-Jarvie discusses the post-election situation for defence. At the time of recording, the new coalition government parties are still negotiating and it is not yet known who will be the Minister of Defence and Veterans.
 On 2 November 2020, we should know who will be New Zealand's next Minister of Defence and Minister for Veterans' Affairs. This episode discusses the contenders for those roles as well as touching on the highly connected position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Podcast 22 in the 2020 VoterTorque series and the first episode in the new post-election season published by TorquePoint Ltd, New Zealand. 
Welcome to the final episode of season 1. This is the third part of our discussion about defending New Zealand against an invading force that is intent on occupying our land. In episode 8, I took a red team view of how New Zealand might be attacked. That was followed in the next two episodes with a long-range defence without the involvement of allies and a discussion about how New Zealand could be made ‘not worth the cost’ of coming too close. Now it’s time to consider the worst case, that ou...
In the second part of 'Defending New Zealand', I discuss how the country might configure itself to deal with an invading force that has the intention of putting boots on the ground.This discussion touches on overt kinetic attacks such as missiles, rockets and bombs, digital attack and covert (fifth column or enemy SOF) attacks on military and civil infrastructure.New Zealand's need for self-reliance in manufacturing the materiel needed to defend itself is premised on the potential for an air/...
This is the first episode in a series that discusses New Zealand's defence needs and a brief insight into current shortfalls. While acknowledging that the people within the current New Zealand Defence Force are as good or better than those who have gone before, Simon Ewing-Jarvie bluntly points out that, in a war of commitment such as the defence of the country, the NZDF would cease to be a functional fighting force in a matter of hours without allied assistance. This episode discusses long r...
A notional red team of industry experts (from 'Buranda'), takes on the challenge of attacking New Zealand with the objective of bringing down the Government and bringing in a system that is more open to its aims and views. No invasion or occupation is involved in this scenario which focuses instead on targetting the essentials of life and creating division between various sectors of society.Nothing is out of scope in this brief outline which addresses politics (including a f...
The focus of this episode is national security posture options for New Zealand. Simon Ewing-Jarvie and Heather Roy discuss four options:1. Maintaining armed alignment with traditional allies and partners2. Seeking new treaties, allies and partners more closely aligned to protecting our current economic interests3. Adopting a strategy of armed non-alignment4. Armed neutralityThe hosts discuss the risks and gains of each option; highlighting the usefulness of assessing these in a red team...
The host, Simon Ewing-Jarvie, takes a high level pass over several pieces of New Zealand legislation that either need amendment or should be created in order to improve the country's national security legislative framework.The discussion includes the raising of a National Security Agency and National Security Impact Statements for all new Bills as well as better use of existing legislation - such as S50A of the Defence Act declaring Situations of National Interest. The latter, the host argues...
What's Taking So Long?

What's Taking So Long?

2021-06-2611:43

Simon Ewing-Jarvie discusses why it is taking so long to establish a national security agency and strategy, given that the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019 recommended exactly this approach in late 2020.He draws on his work in continuity management and executive behaviour in risky environments to highlight some possible reasons why public sector chief executives might be reluctant to embrace the sort of change that is being calle...
On the back of the New Zealand Government's Budget 2021, Simon Ewing-Jarvie and Heather Roy discuss how much money is allocated to national security on an 'all agencies' approach rather than the traditional view of defence force funding.What is apparent is that current financial appropriations are insufficient for building national self-reliance and resilience. The discussion focusses on current gross domestic product and rates of growth as the basis for being able to afford better leve...
In this episode, Heather Roy questions Simon Ewing-Jarvie about what the world might look like in 2050 and what the national security implications for New Zealand are. There's also an interesting lead-in to a subsequent episode on veterans.It's a quickfire tour of population projections, emerging economic powers, increased conflict involving non-state actors and private security forces. UN peace keeping donor fatigue and climate refugee numbers are discussed. New battle domains do not replace...
Heather Roy interviews Simon Ewing-Jarvie about what he thinks the country will look like in 2050 and beyond. This episode traverses Statistics NZ population projections as well as the views of well-known academics such as Professor Paul Spoonley and the late Professor Paul Callaghan. It also discusses likely implications of these and other demographic changes ranging from the Antarctic Treaty to energy generation and distribution, nuclear ship propulsion, schooling and a widening wealth gap ...
Introduction

Introduction

2021-05-3011:38

Welcome to the first episode in the podcast series dedicated to discussing New Zealand's national security. This series is opened by former NZ Associate Defence Minister, Hon Heather Roy who is, herself, a retired army officer. She introduces the show's host, Dr Simon Ewing-Jarvie and questions him about the series content.
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