NZ First proposes six-year overhaul of defence, 3% of GDP spending by 2032

NZ First’s defence blueprint urges a six-year transformation that would combine the Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters under a New Zealand Joint Defence Command and create a dedicated Marine Force for boarding, island security and polar operations. The proposal aims to expand regular-force personnel to 12,500, reservists to 6,000 and civilian staff to 4,000, accelerating basic training to a 90-day cycle. Recruitment rules would be loosened to admit vegans and those with minor allergies, while senior executive salaries would be capped at 3.5 times a Command Warrant Officer’s base pay.

The plan also calls for ring-fencing funds for the NZ Special Air Service and establishing a bilateral technology exchange with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence. Defence spending would climb to 2.5% of GDP within two years, then to 2.7%, and finally 3% by 2032, with an “acceleration clause” to compress the timeline if a major strategic shock occurs.