• By Judith Collins, Minister of Defence and MP for Papakura

Anzac Day is an incredibly special time for many New Zealanders, and I think it’s because so many of us have family members who served in the World Wars and contemporary operations.

It’s a time we often think of veterans – for me, it brings up so many poignant memories of attending services with my father, the late Percy Collins, who served in World War II.

We were lucky. He came home. But visit any war cemetery in Europe and you’ll find the graves of the thousands of New Zealanders who did not return from the World Wars.

The cost to New Zealand was huge, not only in the tragedy of wasted lives but financially.

Spending on Defence peaked at 35 per cent of GDP in 1943, fighting for democracy.

We currently spend only about 1 per cent, despite living in an increasingly unstable world.

But that’s changing, and this month I announced with the Prime Minister a Defence Capability Plan which outlines our equipment and personnel needs for the next 15 years.

This plan delivers $12 billion of commitments in the first four years, including a $9b increase to baseline funding.

Within eight years these commitments will take us from our current GDP spend of about 1 per cent to around 2 per cent.

To those who say it’s too much, I’d invite you to think about this: there is no economic security without national security.

I’m so proud to deliver such a significant increase to our NZDF because it’s them we turn to when the chips are down, when missiles are being launched and guns fired in situations that affect New Zealand’s national interests, when flood waters are rising, when people need rescuing in our huge EEZ.

Time and again it’s the men and women of our Defence Force who step up, and they do it every time, without hesitation.

It is only right that they have the people, the equipment and the support to do what we ask.

So, this Anzac Day, I’ll be remembering those who have fought in battles past and hoping we are never again in that situation while knowing that, if we are, our people will be well equipped, trained and supported.

And I will be thanking them all, past, present and future, for their service.