Ministry of Defence Media Release
30 April 2007
Defence Minister Phil Goff has welcomed an independent assessment of New Zealand's defence strategy by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute as highly positive.
"This report is an A pass for the current state of the New Zealand Defence Force, that by 1999 was clearly failing after a decade of massive cuts and growing obsolescence of equipment", Mr Goff said.
"Professor Rolfe describes the armed forces today as 'becoming modern, fully capable operational forces' with the NZDF adopting appropriate levels of modern technology.
"This conclusion reflects the major investment of funding in new equipment and policies to strengthen the NZDF adopted under this Labour-led government.
"The Long Term Development Plan invests $3.5 billion in purchasing new equipment over 10 years and under the Defence Sustainability Initiative, a further $4.6 billion in personnel.
"As a result of this and more effective strategies in managing the NZDF, Professor Rolfe notes that overall it 'is as capable today as has been in the past 30 years and is as capable as it needs to be'.
"The job is of course not yet complete and more work needs to be put in", Mr Goff said.
"But even since Professors Rolfe's research was undertaken, there has been further progress in areas where he has pointed to improvement being needed.
"For example, attrition in the Army has dropped on latest figures from the 18% he quoted from 2004 to 14.83% today and in the Air Force from 11.9% to 8.22%, New Zealand Defence Force personnel strength has increased by over 420 or 3.7% in the last year.
"Government has just agreed to steps such as installing a new self-protection system for C-130s which Rolfe's analysis has pointed to as being necessary.
"Professor Rolfe also points to key defence relationships with Australia and the United States as being 'strong and getting stronger'. This can be seen by close cooperation with Australia in Pacific security and peacekeeping operations such as in Timor Leste, The Solomon Islands and Tonga.
"New Zealand and the United States may no longer be part of the ANZUS treaty but Rolfe notes this is no longer 'relevant to either party in the post cold war, and especially post 11 September strategic environment'. Instead we are developing a 'stronger, more forward looking relationship based' on practical cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as non-proliferation and counter terrorism.
"New Zealand makes a strong international security contribution but, as New Zealanders would expect, defines its needs and interests for itself rather than automatically reflecting anyone else's view of the world.
"This report while independent and constructively critical on some details, is overall a ringing endorsement of progress that has been made in the NZDF and how it is currently placed", Mr Goff concluded.
ENDS
Contact: Jeremy Seed (press secretary) 04 471 9794 or 021 278 7233
Jeremy.seed@parliament.govt.nz
All Phil Goff’s media releases and speeches are posted at www.beehive.govt.nz