\u201cWe could stage a basketball game on the flight deck. You need to see these things and realise it\u2019s not some sort of bogeyman that you have to worry about,\u201d Novelly said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d really like the opportunity to work with New Zealand on that exact topic.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Herald asked what that actually looked like, and whether he was suggesting New Zealand allowed ships with nuclear propulsion or weapons into our waters, and if he was wanting a discussion with the Government about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re friends and I don\u2019t know about you, but I don\u2019t like even my friends to just pop by and knock on the door, you wanna invite them, so it requires an invite from New Zealand,\u201d Novelly said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s New Zealand law. I don\u2019t change New Zealand law. I don\u2019t write New Zealand law. It\u2019s up to you to invite us, but I\u2019d love to see it. I think everybody else would too. I think it would be a generational event as much as the 19, whatever it was, 1980, what year was it?\u201d <\/p>\n
Novelly did say he understood the nuclear-free policy of New Zealand, saying it was the first thing he was briefed on and it was \u201cnot my fight\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s up to you. I\u2019m not here to change your mind. I\u2019m here to respect your opinions.\u201d <\/p>\n
US Ambassador Jared Novelly and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters. Photo \/ Jamie Ensor<\/p>\n
Under Section 11 of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987, entry into the internal waters of New Zealand by any ship whose propulsion is wholly or partly dependent on nuclear power is prohibited. <\/p>\n
The New Zealand Government, as recently as last month, has said it will not be changing the country\u2019s nuclear-free policy. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really proud of our nuclear-free position and it ain\u2019t changing while I\u2019m prime minister \u2013 period,\u201d Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said.<\/p>\n
The issue of US ships coming into New Zealand waters became a focal point in the 1980s, including when the Government of the time refused the USS Buchanan entry because the US would neither confirm nor deny the ship had nuclear capability. <\/p>\n
Novelly made his first major speech as US Ambassador last night at a party celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States\u2019 declaration of independence. <\/p>\n
Speaking at Wellington\u2019s T\u0101kina convention centre, Novelly began by admitting to the audience that \u201cspeaking is not necessarily coming naturally to me\u201d. He joked that if he continuously messed up, \u201cyou can throw rotten tomatoes or something … kiwis?\u201d <\/p>\n
Novelly rarely stumbled in his speech though, the focus of which was unsurprisingly not on the geopolitical situation of today or the US\u2019 current foreign policy, but instead the relationship between the US and New Zealand over time. <\/p>\n
The ambassador said the two countries have \u201calways been about showing up for one another\u201d. <\/p>\n
He gave examples, including a Wellington family taking a US marine into their home in 1942 to give him warmth and apple pie, as the Marine forces travelled to an \u201cuncertain future\u201d in the Pacific mid-World War II. <\/p>\n
Another was of New Zealanders leaving flowers at the gates of the US Embassy after the 9\/11 attacks. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo cameras, no ceremony, no expectation of being seen. Just a simple message – \u2018we\u2019re with you\u2019,\u201d Novelly said. <\/p>\n
He highlighted how \u201cgenerations of Kiwis grew up with American movies and music\u201d, while describing fast-food chain McDonald\u2019s – \u201cI\u2019m fairly certain you guys says Maccas\u201d – as potentially the US\u2019 \u201cmost successful form of soft power\u201d. <\/p>\n
The speech briefly mentioned areas of future cooperation, with Novelly saying one priority was \u201cstrengthening our shared security\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cNew Zealand\u2019s recent steps in this area reflect a commitment that we value, and we\u2019ll keep working together to support stability and peace in our region,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Others include cooperating on critical minerals, aerospace and emerging technology, and sports diplomacy. <\/p>\n
New US Ambassador Jared Novelly speaking in Wellington. Photo \/ Jamie Ensor<\/p>\n
Novelly was followed by a speech from New Zealand\u2019s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, who spent most of his time discussing US history and what can be learned from the US founders. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe expansive ambition and competitive energy that has driven the United States and its people has been a singular force in shaping global history,\u201d Peters said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe pray that the lessons of your history will inform the challenges and choices you face in the future and that America\u2019s future is as enduring as its past. <\/p>\n
\u201cYet that future carries forward the character of its founders, the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin, the idealism of Thomas Jefferson, and the leadership of the polities of George Washington, then that future is assured.\u201d<\/p>\n
One area of note in Peters\u2019 speech was him mentioning how over time the US extended westwards toward the Pacific Ocean. <\/p>\n
\u201cFirmly cementing the United States as a Pacific nation, something we need to remind you of from time to time.\u201d <\/p>\n
The event was part-celebration, part-trade show, with various businesses and groups exhibiting their goods and brands. Sponsors for the event ranged from Meta to Lockheed Martin to Rocket Lab. <\/p>\n
Cheeseburgers from McDonald\u2019s were handed out to attendees, who also had an opportunity to get photos with the DeLorean similar to that from the Back to the Future film franchises, as well as motorcycles and other cars. <\/p>\n
Novelly isn\u2019t a career politician or diplomat, but rather best-known for owning the Illawarra Hawks \u2013 a basketball team that competes in the National Basketball League in Australia \u2013 through the Crest Sports and Entertainment group. He was also a director of the Apex Oil Corporation. <\/p>\n
Originally from St Louis, Missouri, he holds a Masters of Property Development from the University of Technology Sydney and a BA from Saint Louis University. <\/p>\n
Novelly\u2019s journey to becoming ambassador has been a long one, with his nomination languishing in the American political system since early 2025 when he was first picked by US President Donald Trump. <\/p>\n
He had to be renominated in January and only went before senators for his confirmation hearing in March. <\/p>\n
As the Herald reported in January, the period between Novelly being nominated and arriving in post appears to be longer than other recent US Ambassadors, such as Tom Udall and Scott Brown. <\/p>\n
During his confirmation hearing in the Senate in March, Novelly said a priority of his in Wellington would be \u201cexpanding our defence partnership\u201d, highlighting that New Zealanders were more aware than most of the \u201cdarkening security environment in the Pacific\u201d, which he in part attributed to China. <\/p>\n