New Zealand's defence minister has sympathised with the Trump administration's push for partner countries to lift defence spending, saying Australia and New Zealand are among nations that have been "pretty slack" for decades. Judith Collins said for too long American taxpayers have had to "carry the burden", and while the United States has not directly asked New Zealand to boost its defence spending, Ms Collins said she understood the broader push from the Five Eyes partner and wanted to lift NZ's spend further. The White House has demanded Australia lift defence spending by almost $40 billion a year "as soon...