I STRONGLY disagree absolutely and entirely with the Author's comments and take on the nuclear option! Something we absolutely must consider, as long as any nuclear armed, potential adversary has its eyeballs glued on our land, resources etc. Which he, if not prevented, would hand to them on a silver platter, with his anti-nuclear, anti-independent, anti-self-dependant advocacy

Potential adversaries?

No names no pack drill. They could be several?

As for the nuclear option and our ability to create weapons-grade plutonium? We already have that capacity in the medical grade, reactor at Lucas Heights. WE DO!

Given access, my druthers and my shopping list could use it to also create several dozen tactical nuclear weapons in several weeks, small enough to be installed in our existing smart bombs as their warheads.

And used against military shipping, airfields Communications, power generation and military bases. As a single out of the blue, preemptive strike.

Always providing, verifiable credible intelligence demanded that as our only available response to imminent invasion! Which cannot be allowed to proceed!

That said, we have other reasons to embrace the nuclear option as the only viable, carbon-free, reliable, dispatchable, clean, safe affordable, power source. And should stop listening to fifth columnists, who would have us put in jeopardy and defenceless!?

Our debt-laden economy is in virtual ruins due to prevarication over the nuclear option! When every boy and his dog understands, our self-reliant defence and security is absolutely dependant on a strong robust economy and robust sustainable high tech manufacturing.

The latter absolutely tied to and unquestionably dependant on affordable, reliable, dispatchable, CARBON-FREE nuclear energy! ABSOLUTELY! NO QUESTION!
Alan B.

Kampmark is suffering leftwing academic delusions when he puts forward the thesis that Australia felt "moral envy" for NZ's deceitful anti-US nuclear defences stand.

Rather Australia has resigned itself to spending a greater percentage of its own GDP on defence in order to make up NZ's defence expenditure shortfalls.

On "deceitful" - Weak NZ PM's Lange (1984-89) and then Helen Clark (1999-2008) maintained a no-US-nuclear-ships policy in the knowledge that the US and Australia would still defend NZ.

NZ is on Australia's flank so we would naturally defend NZ however selfish NZ defence policies used to be.

NZ has grown out of the policy mistakes of Lange-Clark era and now fully cooperates with nuclear/conventionally armed US and conventionally armed Australia.
__________________________________________________

Kampmark would be grudgingly aware that:

1. NZ has (quietly) sent NZ servicemen to Iraq http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/operations/iraq.htm and Afghanistan http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/operations/afghanistan.htm for many years as a sign of alliance with the US.

and

2. NZ's signal intelligence bases also (quietly) cover their geographic neighbourhood in support of the Five Eyes (UKUSA) Alliance - an alliance in which the US is the largest partner - see http://www.gcsb.govt.nz/about-us/ukusa-allies/

Pete
(Written the above on behalf of sentiments of the Australian Government including the ALP Opposition)

Kampmark is suffering leftwing academic delusions
plantagenet,
Enough said !

Binroy is known to dislike the USA and our defence ties with it? And this article and the previous one coming hard on the heels of another defence exercise that involves the above.

His past commentary would seem to show anti-US bias and or admiration to both Russia and China, both of who are nuclear armed, expansionist states!

[One also notes the very cosy relationship between Trump and (oil oligarch) Putin

What does that tell us? That we and NZ should no longer stand on the shoulders of any, no longer reliable giants regarding our nuclear defence?

Interestingly, Turkey is a nuclear-armed state where US sourced Nuclear inventory exceeds fifty thermonuclear devices. And not a single word of condemnation from anti-nuclear," champion of freedom and justice", Binroy?

Even as the Turkish Tyrant eliminates freedom of the press and starts a war of attrition against the Kurd! Just as they had won some autonomy and enough seats in the parliament to topple the Turkish Tyrant!

Ironic?

Or just a loudmouth fifth columnist doing his tiny best, to influence, decidedly dumb, self-serving, sellout politicians?

If any of our leaders had the brains they were born with? That would crack on resolutely with a nuclear program and our aerospace/missile defence system And early warning capabilities that has to include significant coverage with sonar buoys and rapid response deployment of countermeasures!

Any unannounced submarine straying into our territorial waters, which have to be expanded, need to be assumed to be hostile and face a significant bombardment/confirmed destruction!

Moreover, we need to become self-sufficient in adequate, home-grown fuel supplies and fuel self-sufficiency. Only nuclear power would guarantee just that!
Alan B.

The attitudes of successive New Zealand governments in akin to that of a spoiled adolescent, always rebelling and acting out with mummy and daddy, secure in the knowledge that if anything bad happens, they know that mummy and daddy will come running to the rescue.

This is especially so, when one remembers that the total numbers of entire New Zealand armed forces is less than that of the New York Police department. New Zealand is a mouse trying to roar and looking ridiculous doing it. Virtue signalling and moral posturing has replaced plain common sense. New Zealand can not defend itself and they are offending their own proven reliable ally who has come to their aid previously in time of war. They deserve to be invaded and conquered. Their behavior is as idiotic as the New Zealand Wharfies who refused to load US navy ships while it was raining during the crucial battle for Guadalcanal north of New Zealand, where 20.000 US servicemen died.

Only 9 months ago the criminal regime of North Korea threatened to nuke Australia, and even that was unable to get us thinking straight about nuclear energy, nuclear powered submarines, and nuclear weapons. We are acting like the rich Romans who thought that they need not bother with defending Rome because they had always won in the past. They did not worry about King Alaric and his Visigoths, nor repairing the walls of Rome until it was too late.

Thank God or somebody, that the USA has got a President who is telling his skinflint "allies" to start spending some money on their own defense, instead of expecting the USA to come running when push comes to shove. He is also attempting to stop the USA from continuing to be the world's policeman who always gets criticised by their ungrateful "allies" for keeping the peace and standing up to lunatics on behalf of everybody.

With "allies" like New Zealand, who needs enemies? With political commentators like Binoy, who needs a Lord Haw Haw? Or a Tokyo Rose?

Binoy's last couple of offerings looks as silly as New Zealand banning US ships.

Both look like children playing at grown up