Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will not say if the government will consult the public on joining the AUKUS defence pact.
Speaking to reporters on the third leg of his Southeast Asia trip, from Manila in the Philippines, Luxon was asked multiple times whether the public would be consulted.
He repeatedly said that was yet to be worked through, adding that the government was open to exploring it but had a "long way to go".
His trip so far has taken in political and business engagements in Singapore, and in Thailand.
Meanwhile, back in Wellington, Labour invited AUKUS critics to Parliament for a discussion on the security pact and New Zealand's possible future involvement.
Follow the conference via RNZ's live updates:
