ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the balance between what might be called old agenda divergence in the defence and security policies of New Zealand and Australia. It seeks to identify factors that explain the different defence paths pursued on either side of the Tasman Sea, and also those which allow for continuing and even enhanced cooperation and common operational commitments. While most famously connected to the defence in depth philosophy enunciated in Paul Dibb’s 1986 report, the defence of Australia has been around a good many years longer as a malleable and yet firm anchor for Australian defence policy. The recurring theme of police contributions, and the importance of aid agencies as part of the nation-building effort, confirms the sense of a wider agenda, with security being about much more than defence. Whether or not Australia and New Zealand face a defence and security environment that is thoroughly new, the agenda does seem wider than is usually reflected in traditional defence philosophies.
