Mayor’s column: Honouring our fallen

I encourage Nelsonians to join together this Friday to reflect on the tragic loss of life our nation has suffered in war – 230 in the Boer War, 18,000 in World War I, 12,000 in World War II, 45 in Korea, 15 in Malaya, 12 in Borneo, 37 in Vietnam and 10 in Afghanistan. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges of our time, and how best we can avoid future conflicts.

Anzac Day this year comes at a time of global instability. The NATO and Western alliance supporting Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022 is unravelling. The post-WWII respect for national borders, particularly important for small countries such as New Zealand, is being challenged. I am aghast at the comments of United States President Donald Trump about the US acquiring Canada and Greenland.

Adding to the unease is the incident in February where three Chinese Navy vessels conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea, requiring Air New Zealand flights to be diverted. It was a deliberate message to Australia and New Zealand about China’s growing military power. It follows China’s controversial new deals with the Cook and Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

New Zealand spends little on defence compared with most countries. Our armed forces have been in decline for decades. Both the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition acknowledged the need for increased investment. We need to work even closer on security with old friends such as Australia and the United Kingdom. We also need to build new defence relationships with NATO and countries such as Japan, Korea and India that share our values.

The danger with WW II being so long ago is that we forget how awful war is. Anzac Day reminds us how hard we need to work on avoiding conflict. Council can play a small part by building international understanding through our Sister Cities, encouraging multi-cultural exchanges, helping the RSA in commemorating Anzac Day and being a voice for peace.

The most important way we honour our fallen is to continue to champion those important values they fought for - freedom, democracy and respect for human rights.