A "sufficiently severe" cyber attack on either country could trigger a combined Australia-New Zealand defence response, the prime ministers of both countries said today.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Chris Luxon spoke in Canberra today during a round of talks about the ongoing partnership between the two countries.
Emphasising the current strategic circumstances in the Pacific, both mentioned a plan to increase "working in lockstep" in defence issues.
"We also discussed the increasingly important role that cyberspace plays to enhance cooperation in tackling cyber attacks," Albanese said.
"We reaffirmed that international law applies in cyberspace and that a cyber attack on either country could, depending on its nature, constitute an attack under article four of the treaty."
"The treaty" is the ANZUS Treaty, which was originally signed between Australia, the US, and New Zealand in 1951, and which since 1986 represents two separate treaties between Australia and New Zealand, and Australia and the US.
Article four of the treaty reads: "Each Party recognises that an armed attack in the Pacific Area on any of the Parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger in accordance with its constitutional processes".
Luxon confirmed that the alliance could "come into play" in the face of a "sufficiently severe cyber attack".
"We are recognising obviously, today, modern warfare has moved into the cyberspace and should New Zealand come under a severe cyberattack, both countries, we would invoke the arrangement under our arrangements," he said.
Albanese said any attack would be assessed on a "case by case" basis.
"A cyber-attack can have as great an impact as an attack from traditional means," he said.
"The way we have viewed warfare is changing. An attack on the economy can bring down the operation of an entire society."
'Seamless' integration
Albanese and Luxon also discussed the ongoing process to ensure smoother travel and work between Australia and New Zealand, though it wasn't all rosy.
Luxon also mentioned the Australian policy of deporting criminal offenders to New Zealand "whose formative experiences were nearly all in Australia".
"Prime Minister Albanese and I agreed to engage closely on this," he said.
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Albanese was asked about the clash over the deportation policy later by a reporter.
"While we have common purpose, we do not have uniform positions, but we respect each other's position," he said.
"Australia's job is to look after our national interest."
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