The current date is March 19, 2026.

Here is the English version of the previous summary, broken down into shorter lines for easier reading:

The transcript you provided appears to be from a real interview on a New Zealand morning show (possibly “The AM Show” or similar, hosted by Ryan Bridge).

Judith Collins, New Zealand’s Minister of Defence, appeared on air around March 18 or 19, 2026, shortly after the ANZMIN (Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations – 2+2 format) held in Canberra on March 17, 2026.

This was the third such meeting with the same four ministers: Richard Marles (Australian Deputy PM and Defence Minister), Penny Wong (Australian Foreign Minister), Judith Collins (NZ Defence Minister), and Winston Peters (NZ Foreign Minister).

The meeting marked 75 years since the ANZUS Treaty (1951) and 111 years since Gallipoli.

The key outcome was the joint statement: “Operationalising the Australia-New Zealand Alliance: Anzac 2035 – Closer Defence Relations”.

This document sets out a vision for 2035: Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces will become increasingly integrated, combat-capable as an “Anzac force”, while fully respecting each nation’s sovereignty.

Specific goals include:

• Greater interoperability through defence industry cooperation, preparedness and resilience, joint operations, training, and force posture.
• Shared understanding of force readiness levels.
• Combined mission planning and synchronization mechanisms.
• Enhanced force-posture cooperation, including rotational presence and joint working groups on posture.
• Deeper Pacific defence force engagement.
• Embedding personnel in each other’s strategic and operational headquarters.
• Reducing barriers to defence industry participation.
• Exploring co-development or co-production of shared capabilities.

The aim is for the two forces to operate seamlessly together to deter, respond to, and counter shared threats in an increasingly complex international security environment (Indo-Pacific tensions, Middle East conflicts, global risks).

In the interview, Judith Collins stressed that New Zealand’s relationship with Australia has long been extremely close – dating back to Gallipoli.

They almost always appear together at international defence meetings.

Around one million New Zealanders live in Australia, and many Australians live in New Zealand. Economically and through migration, the two countries are deeply intertwined.

Collins dismissed fears of being automatically drawn into “an American-led war” just because defence ties with Australia are tightening.

She pointed out that New Zealand has joined most operations Australia has undertaken (except the 2003 Iraq War), but always on its own terms.

New Zealand sovereignty remains paramount: the Defence Force only deploys where the government decides.

Every deployment decision considers:

• New Zealand’s national interest
• Personnel safety
• Whether a formal request exists
• Resource constraints (NZ has limited assets compared to larger allies)

On potential joint deployments to the Persian Gulf or Middle East: No requests have been received. New Zealand learned of recent developments (like US/UK strikes) through media reports, just like the public.

NZ does not possess stealth bombers or similar high-end assets. Its strength lies in highly capable people.

New Zealand has previously contributed to keeping Red Sea shipping lanes open (for trade reasons), but no current request exists for anything similar.

Regarding Houthi attacks in the Red Sea / Bab al-Mandab Strait: NZ has relevant skills and some capability, but decisions would still require Cabinet approval, a formal request, and clear alignment with national interests.

On US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent hard-line comments (“no woke wars”, disregard for rules of engagement, etc.): Collins declined to speak for him. She emphasised that New Zealand strictly adheres to rules of engagement and values calmness to avoid escalation.

No advice from the Attorney-General on potential deployments has been sought, because no requests or concrete proposals exist (as per Cabinet manual conventions).

On global threats – drone/swarm attacks on European and Gulf airports, hotels hit in the Middle East, Russian activity in Europe: New Zealand is geographically distant, which is an advantage, but not immune.

Supersonic missiles and ICBMs can reach across the Pacific. A Chinese ICBM test in late 2024 flew over parts of the Pacific in a trajectory that could theoretically threaten New Zealand.

On the risk of China moving on Taiwan while the world is distracted by the Middle East: Collins hopes not. She urged calm, careful actions, and avoiding miscalculation.

She described the current era as “one of the most dangerous times” she has known in her lifetime – possibly amplified by the classified intelligence she receives.

Overall, the ANZMIN meeting and “Anzac 2035” represent a pragmatic, incremental strengthening of the trans-Tasman alliance to improve collective deterrence and response in the Indo-Pacific – without automatic commitment to any conflict.

Judith Collins reassured New Zealanders that all decisions remain fully sovereign, made by Cabinet, and guided by New Zealand’s independent foreign policy tradition.