The National Party is urging the Government to push ahead with new defence purchases as the geopolitical contest in the Pacific heats up.
The Government has been shifting priorities and deferring future purchases of large assets for the Defence Force, as it recovers from the pandemic.
Budget 2022 had an emphasis on mending existing woes: $525 million for maintaining ageing defence assets, $137m to improve buildings and infrastructure, and $90m for wages.
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National Party defence spokesperson Tim van de Molen says there has been no action to show we are playing a leadership role in the Pacific.
National Party defence spokesperson Tim van de Molen said the Government had allocated money to two of Defence Minister Peeni Henare’s defence priorities, people and infrastructure, but not the third: the Pacific.
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“It’s easy to say that’s a priority. But we’re not seeing any action from the minister to actually show that we are playing a leadership role in the Pacific,” he said.
“That is one of the critical things that we must do. New Zealand has to stand by our values … I’m not seeing the minister’s response to his priorities being played out through this Budget.”
The Government’s deferral of the acquisition of a Southern Ocean Patrol vessel raised questions about whether New Zealand would be able to play a “competent, regional leadership role”, van de Molen said.
He said the Government couldn’t just rely on the prior purchase of new aircrafts, being delivered in the coming years. Henare’s decision to push out spending on major assets was sending “the wrong signals”.
NZDF/Stuff
A New Zealand Air Force Hercules arrives in Europe, where its assisting with shipping of arms for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
“When we’ve got a minister saying … he can’t give us any detail around what his focus is in the Pacific or how he’s delivering, it’s no wonder we’re seeing low morale and attrition starting to creep up.
“It’s not the sole reason, but it’s certainly a contributing factor.”
Van de Molen said he supported the Government’s $90m spend for wages, as long as it went to frontline personnel and not “putting bureaucrats into policy position”, to improve morale and reduce attrition.
He said a large number of houses on defence bases did not meet the Government’s healthy homes standards, and “presumably some of this money will go to that”.
NZDF/Stuff
HMNZS Te Kaha, second from the right of the vessels at the rear, in company with ships from the UK, US, Canada, Netherlands, and Japan in the Philippines Sea in 2021.
Henare visited Fiji in March to sign a military co-operation agreement.
Last week, he said New Zealand had proven capable at responding to humanitarian disasters in the region, and New Zealand spoke with Pacific countries regularly to “reassure them that we’re here”.
The Government’s efforts in the Pacific have been criticised this week, after China launched an ambitious diplomatic bid to secure a region-wide deal with 10 Pacific nations – who ultimately declined to sign the agreement.
This came weeks after Solomon Islands signed a security deal with China, raising concerns in Wellington that it could lead to China establishing a military base in the region.
