ACT Welcomes Defence Amendment Bill
ACT New Zealand Defence Spokesman John Banks today welcomed the tabling of the 'Defence Amendment Bill' by Defence Minister Wayne Mapp.
"The Defence White Paper, in which ACT Minister Hon Heather Roy played a leading role, identified amendments to the Defence Act 1990 to enable the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) to work together more effectively and efficiently," Mr Banks said.
"The Defence Amendment Bill proposes increased collaboration between the NZDF and MoD on managing defence capability and gives the Chief of the Defence Force more authority to directly manage the Navy, Army, and Air Force.
"This Bill is a step closer to the reintegration of the NZDF and MoD, as recommended in the Hunn Report, for which ACT has long campaigned. The report calls for reintegration to reverse the policy of separation of civilian and military responsibility as the system has been labouring under severe difficulties since its inception.
"New Zealand's Defence Force is only as strong as its weakest link. The NZDF and MoD should be fully reintegrated to ensure there are no gaps in our fence," Mr Banks said.
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Respects to Lt Timothy O'Donnell
Mr Speaker, on behalf of the ACT Party I wish to express our sorrow at the death of Lieutenant Timothy O’Donnell in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan. This is New Zealand’s first combat casualty in the region, and we send our sincere condolences to the soldier’s family, friends and colleagues who have now lost a true warrior in the most tragic of circumstances.
Too often in the modern world, we, common citizens living our lives in relative safety, forget the role soldiers play in defending our borders and preserving our way of life.
Lieutenant O’Donnell has made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and I thank him for that.
I also send my respects out to the two other soldiers injured in the raid; they have both made their sacrifices performing their duty and remind me of why I’m proud to be a New Zealander.
Our soldiers are all doing a job that few have the courage to do. They deal with the darkest, most savage and dangerous elements of the modern world, and they do it with professionalism and pride.
As Thomas Jefferson once said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”, and this is never truer in a post September 11 world.
We as New Zealanders won’t ever let our commitment to what’s good and right in the world wilt in the face of these most tragic circumstances.
All New Zealanders can be proud to call Lieutenant O’Donnell one of our own, and salute his service and ultimate sacrifice.
Thank you.
Respects to Lt Timothy O'Donnell
Mr Speaker, on behalf of the ACT Party I wish to express our sorrow at the death of Lieutenant Timothy O’Donnell in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan. This is New Zealand’s first combat casualty in the region, and we send our sincere condolences to the soldier’s family, friends and colleagues who have now lost a true warrior in the most tragic of circumstances.
Too often in the modern world, we, common citizens living our lives in relative safety, forget the role soldiers play in defending our borders and preserving our way of life.
Lieutenant O’Donnell has made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and I thank him for that.
I also send my respects out to the two other soldiers injured in the raid; they have both made their sacrifices performing their duty and remind me of why I’m proud to be a New Zealander.
Our soldiers are all doing a job that few have the courage to do. They deal with the darkest, most savage and dangerous elements of the modern world, and they do it with professionalism and pride.
As Thomas Jefferson once said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”, and this is never truer in a post September 11 world.
We as New Zealanders won’t ever let our commitment to what’s good and right in the world wilt in the face of these most tragic circumstances.
All New Zealanders can be proud to call Lieutenant O’Donnell one of our own, and salute his service and ultimate sacrifice.
Thank you.
Heather Roy's Diary
Keeping Future Kiwis Safe - Part One: Cyberspace
In the year 2035, most readers will be well beyond 'taking to the hills with a .22 rifle' to defend New Zealand against invaders. Our children and grandchildren, however, will not.
What will warfare look like then? Is it believable that the keyboard will replace the AK47 as the most prolific weapon in the world? Will asymmetric warfare - involving proxies, non-state actors and new technologies - become the new norm, as the world's major research institutes predict?
This series of Heather Roy' Diary, titled 'Keeping Future Kiwis Safe', is not intended to pre-suppose anything that may be in the Government's Defence White Paper. It is my update, based on world trends, of how ACT's policy sits against the facts as they stand.
Some of you will have read ACT's 2008 election manifesto on international relations and national security (http://roy.org.nz/Files/ACT_IRNS.pdf). Rather than turn this Diary into a tome, I'm going to keep it brief here but, if you're stimulated or baffled by the context of anything written here, I commend you to read our policy document. You'll see that it's all consistent.
Ungoverned spaces are a major issue for security planners around the world. These include a lack of effective Government. Examples of this include Somali piracy; pressure on existing treaties and agreements - such as water rights sharing and non-exploitation of mineral resources in Antarctica - and the absence of any generally agreed historical governance such as space and cyberspace.
Cyberspace refers to the entire electro-magnetic spectrum. Cyber-battle and cyber-warfare are subset terms that deal with the security aspects of this space. It is one of several physical and transient 'ungoverned spaces' where there is no discernable or effective governance. These are 'spaces' where terrorists, criminals and the disaffected gather and can operate with impunity. In cyber-war targets can range from internet, phone and media to power grids and more. It is an area where we are vulnerable. It is also an area where New Zealand can be a world leader.
Current approaches to international security can be likened to a 'broken windows' policy. This works fine for policing but, when someone takes down our national power grid or stock exchange from a cyber cafe overseas, who 'kicks in the door' and who arrests them - even if you know who 'them' is?
In tactical terms, cyberspace is a manoeuvre corridor. Strategically, for a nation with such dated infrastructure as ours, it represents an 'Achilles Heel' that could set back our recovery from the global economic recession for a very long time.
I am not suggesting that, in the next 25 years, we will see conventional defence forces replaced by battalions of 'cyber-geeks' - or that New Zealand can cease to wrestle with the challenge of modernising our conventional military hardware, systems and people. It is not a case of 'either/or' but of 'both/and'. I do, however, think that this - and other trends emerging on the world stage - now clearly indicates the need for a comprehensive, whole-of-Government national security policy.
In national security terms, keeping Kiwis safe now and in the future will be characterised, in my opinion, by a transition era; one where we will move toward an enhanced mix of old and new capabilities in order to be able to simultaneously meet the mix of old, new and emerging threats.
Lest We Forget - Private Leonard Manning
During my visit to NZDF troops on deployment in Timor-Leste I attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial to Private William Leonard Manning, killed in action almost 10 years ago to the day.
A dedicated and skilled infantryman deployed as part of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) peacekeeping force, Leonard Manning had a reputation for his interest in - and concern for - the Timorese people. He was known for sitting and talking to local people, and for working to ensure they remained confident in the security and support that the New Zealand peacekeeper provided.
On July 24 2000, Private Manning was on patrol with his unit on the steep and inaccessible hill Fono Debululik. Trailing a group of suspected militia, the unit came under fire and Leonard Manning was shot and killed. The militia were later captured and one sentenced to six years in jail.
At just 24 years old, Private Manning became the first combat fatality New Zealand had suffered since the Viet Nam War. His death was a tragedy for the Manning family, the NZDF and all of New Zealand.
The ceremony I attended yesterday was an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice made by Leonard Manning in service to his country and to the people of Timor-Leste. And also to remember those other soldiers who died in Timor-Leste - Staff Sergeant Billy White, Warrant Officer Tony Walser, Private Boyd Atkins and Private Dean Johnston.
They made the ultimate sacrifice for country and freedom and this will never be forgotten. These men are now are part of our military history and also of Timor-Leste's national story.
My speech to the Wreath-Laying ceremony at the Manning Memorial in Tilomar can be read at: www.roy.org.nz/speechs/wreath-laying-tilomar-timor-leste
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Ami Fila Fali Ba Uma - We Are Going Home
Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy today completes her visit to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) troops on deployment in Timor-Leste, returning to New Zealand this weekend with a deeper insight into the work that NZDF personnel are doing and the high regard in which they are held.
"The feedback I have received during my visit is a testament to the dedication and professionalism displayed by New Zealanders - NZDF personnel, Police and others - while deployed in Timor-Leste," Mrs Roy said.
"While the focus of this visit was on observing and meeting with NZDF personnel it also provided an opportunity to meet with New Zealand Embassy staff, the New Zealand Police contingent and other members of the UN in Timor-Leste.
"I also attended a service to lay a wreath at the memorial to Private Leonard Manning, killed in action almost 10 years ago to the day, while on patrol with his unit near Tilomar in the Cova Lima District of Timor-Leste.
"All of this has served to reinforce my knowledge that our troops are performing in an exemplary manner; as fine ambassadors for New Zealand they are respected and well-liked by other UN personnel and the local population.
"I'm returning to New Zealand with a much greater understanding and appreciation of the efforts that our troops are making in, what is, the newest member of the Southeast Asian community," Mrs Roy said.
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Wreath-laying At Tilomar, Timor-Leste
Hon Heather Roy speech at New Zealand Defence Force Memorial Service; the Manning Memorial; Tilomar, Cova Lima District, Timor-Leste; Thursday, July 15 2010
Ten years ago, not far from this very spot, New Zealand suffered its first combat fatality since the Viet Nam War.
Private Leonard Manning was just 24 years old - a dedicated and skilled infantryman who had been deployed to Timor-Leste as part of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) peacekeeping force, and who was based with his unit here in Tilomar.
On July 24 2000 - nearly 10 years to the day - Private Manning and his unit were on patrol near here, on a steep and inaccessible hill called Fono Debululik. They were on the trail of a group of nine suspected militia when they came under fire. Private Manning was hit and killed.
His death was a tragedy - not only for the Manning family and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) but also - for New Zealand as a whole. The news coverage of the event was intense; we mourned the loss of a young man who had served his country well and who had won a reputation for his interest in, and concern for, the Timorese people. He was well known for sitting and talking to the local people, and for working hard to ensure they remained confident in the security and support that the New Zealand peacekeeper was providing.
It was scant consolation that the militia who killed him were captured, and one of them was sentenced to jail for six years.
It is tribute to the regard in which Leonard Manning was held that an East Timor School Trust was set up in his memory and continues to this day. Each year the Trust provides scholarships to help eight secondary students from the Cova Lima district study at the celebrated Dom Bosco Technical School, near Baucau. The Manning family is closely involved in the Trust and its work.
I suspect that, were he here with us today, Leonard Manning would be surprised and delighted at how far the country in which he died has come in just a decade.
It is timely today to remember also the four other New Zealand soldiers who have died in Timor-Leste while serving their country. Our thoughts go out to the families of Staff Sergeant Billy White, Warrant Officer Tony Walser, Private Boyd Atkins and Private Dean Johnston.
Since I arrived in Timor-Leste yesterday I have been impressed to see the activity and positive energy that is apparent in the streets, and to meet determined and optimistic people who are committed to the future of their country. I know that there are still many challenges to overcome here, but I sense that there is a strong sense of common purpose and great hope for the future.
New Zealand has been a part of international security operations and every UN mission in Timor-Leste since 1999. Thousands of Kiwis have served here - 7,000 in the military and others with the Police, Corrections, Customs and other parts of the public service. They have come to know Timor and her people and, when they return home, they pass their impressions and experiences on to their friends and colleagues.
This means that Timor-Leste has a strong constituency in New Zealand. As a nation, and as a government, we share a real commitment to this newest member of the South East Asian community. At present the most visible commitment is on security, through the International Stabilisation Force and through the UN Mission in Timor-Leste.
But the dynamics of our relationship with Timor-Leste are changing. As the government here builds the institutions of statehood and takes increasing responsibility for its security, so we and other international supporters will inevitably focus on other areas of assistance and symbols of friendship. Our bilateral relationship will become more focused on our Defence Mutual Assistance programme, economic growth and support for Timor-Leste's regional aspirations.
Ladies and gentlemen, this wreath-laying ceremony is an opportunity to reflect on the past, to the sacrifice of Leonard Manning and to the service of others who have supported Timor-Leste. Their efforts are a part of this country's national story.
Today is an opportunity to note the progress that Timor-Leste has made in the years since election monitors were sent here to scrutinise the referendum in the late '90's. We look forward with confidence to this nation's future. For that and much more Leonard Manning, his family and whanau can be very proud.
ENDS
Down Under
Hon Heather Roy speech to the Royal New Zealand Navy Operational Diving Team (ODT) Reunion; Paihia Resort Hotel, Kings Road, Paihia, Bay of Islands; Saturday, July 10 2010
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena kotou katoa. The conventional salutation for the evening appears to be 'Good evening Ladies and Divers’, so that’s where I’ll begin.
I understand that this is only the second reunion to be held in the 40-year history of the Operational Diving Team (ODT) and I would like to begin by thanking Dusty Miller and Nick Quinn for arranging this prestigious event. I would also like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Gary Collier for his guidance as the event’s patron - and he asked me to thank you, Nick, for assigning that duty!
I feel very privileged to have been invited to join you this weekend. It is an honour to be here among some truly remarkable people who have given so much in the service of the Navy and their country. I am amazed by the range of tasks that you have undertaken, yet which are not widely known - perhaps due to the self-effacing pride that is the hallmark of the Operational Diving Team.
As you know, today is the 25th anniversary of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of Greenpeace’s protest operations against French nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll.
It was on 10 July 1985 that the Rainbow Warrior, moored alongside Auckland Harbour in preparation for its latest protest journey, was sunk. In the following hours, the ODT was called out to search for missing crew member, Fernando Pereira. It was Leading Diver Robert Schmidt - who, I believe, is here tonight - who entered the sunken ship and eventually found Fernando.
In the days that followed, the ODT's expertise was put to further use in the successful salvage of the vessel which - about a year later - was re-sunk here in the Bay of Islands as a memorial site that many of you visited today.
I was delighted to join you on this visit: today was my first visit to HMNZS Manawanui, and it gave me an opportunity to not only get a first hand perspective of her role but to also understand the synergy between this very specialised ship and the ODT.
I know, however, that ships and equipment, alone, do not create naval capabilities. Being able to talk to the ship's company, as well as the past and present members of the ODT today, has enabled me to fully appreciate the significant strength that the RNZN delivers to the nation when all elements work together as smoothly as you all clearly do.
As part of the current Defence Review, the Government is considering its options for the time when Manawanui reaches the end of her service life. Today provided me with an invaluable opportunity to better understand the detail of how a specialist dive support vessel, her crew and the teams that operate from her interact.
Thank you Commanding Officer HMNZS Manawanui, Lt Commander Wiremu Leef, for the opportunity you provided today, and to your crew for what was an amazing day.
However, tonight is not just about ships. While we acknowledge that this weekend is the 25th anniversary of one event in our history, it is but one of so many that have involved the ODT. There are too many others - and too little time - to reflect on all of them and, as an Army engineer, it would be more than a little fraught for me to re-tell the 'salty dits’ of others. I’m sure, though, that they will all be retold later tonight - and, like all nautical tales, no doubt the exploits will be embellished - but only for the sake of the story!
There are a few that are worth a brief mention, though, and I’m guessing that one or more from this short list of operations will have involved at least one of you present tonight: the Wahine ferry disaster and its subsequent inspection in 1968; the search for the bodies of Jeanette and Harvey Crew in 1970; the 1979 investigation into the crash of the Australian Air Force F111 in the Hauraki Gulf - a search which, sadly, resulted in the death of Leading Diver Gary Jensen.
Other operations of note include the ODT’s work in 1983 to remove around 100 tonnes of WWII ordnance from Little Barrier Island; the search in 1986 for a missing Russian seaman on the Mikhail Lermontov; and the ODT’s involvement in 1991-92 in UN operations in Cambodia.
And who could forget the destruction by explosives of a 60-tonne dead whale in the Hauraki Gulf? A true testament to the versatility of the ODT.
Body searches and recoveries, murder weapon searches, drug recovery operations in support of the Police - these are all tough jobs in anyone’s language and invariably undertaken in dark, cold, deep water. Divers do not get to choose the time of the dive, or wait until conditions are more favourable. The work requires extremely high levels of fitness, and long and arduous training to cover the range of equipment - especially re-breathing gear - mastery of explosives, underwater welding, photography, covert swimming, salvage techniques and, for the more senior divers, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Improvised Explosive Device Disposal.
This work is not for the faint-hearted and can only be undertaken by very special people who must cope with the tough training regime as well as the stresses of dangerous and unpleasant work in an unforgiving environment.
You dedication is admirable and, I must say, I don't know how you manage to deal with some of the less pleasant aspects of your work. I can only put it down to the Navy diver's core values of strength, honour and loyalty; values that bind your select team of professionals and stand you proud within the profession of arms.
These qualities make you unique in the Navy and in New Zealand. You represent the core RNZN values of courage, commitment and comradeship - the latter being very evident tonight.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the wives and partners of these very special men. Without your support, I'm sure they would not have the mental fortitude to undertake the very demanding tasks that they have so unselfishly done.
Elitism, for a unit or organisation, is a word that is often misplaced. It must be earned. Respect must be gained from colleagues and the wider community; it has to be deserved and the mana has to be maintained. From what I now know of the ODT though its operations - but especially its people - you are an elite unit of which you can be justifiably proud.
Thank you again for the privilege of being part of this special occasion.
ENDS
Associate Minister Releases Public Submissions On Defence
Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy today publicly released the summary of submissions received by the Ministry of Defence during the public consultation phase of the Government's Defence Review 2009 (DR09).
"Last year Defence Minister Dr Wayne Mapp and I launched the public consultation phase of DR09 at Te Papa in Wellington. Today Wellington is the venue for the release of the final report of that phase of the Defence Review – although it is HMNZS Wellington, the Royal New Zealand Navy's newest ship," Mrs Roy said.
"The public consultation process of DR09 gave New Zealanders the opportunity to have their views on defence and security recorded and taken into account. More than 600 individual and organisations used that opportunity and made written submissions, and 250 people attended the 16 public meetings organised by the Ministry of Defence throughout the country.
"The key themes that emerged during this process included: a high priority being placed on the defence of New Zealand and its wider interests, greater co-operation with key defence partners, and strengthening of the ANZAC relationship. This report summarises these, and other, themes identified.
"The Defence Review provided the first opportunity in over a decade for broad-based consultation on long-term Defence policy. All the information gathered will be considered as part of the Defence Assessment and will inform the preparation of the White Paper to be released later this year," Mrs Roy said.
The report released today can be downloaded from the Ministry of Defence website:
www.defence.govt.nz/reports-publications/review09-summary-submissions/co...
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Defence Review Submissions Released
Hon Heather Roy speech to release the final report of the public consultation phase of Defence Review 2009; HMNZS Wellington, Devonport Naval Base, Devonport, Auckland; Friday, June 11 2010.
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On June 26 last year, Minister of Defence Dr Mapp and I launched the public consultation phase of Defence Review 09 at Te Papa in Wellington. It is my great pleasure, today, to be back in Wellington to release the final report of that phase of the Defence Review - however, this time, the venue is the Royal New Zealand Navy's newest ship: HMNZS Wellington.
As I have said on many occasions, the first role of Government is to protect its citizens. The history of this nation is tightly woven with its Armed Forces and all Kiwis have some connection with the Defence Force, past or present, either directly or through families, friends and neighbours.
Our Defence Force capability reflects not just practical requirements, in terms of national security, but also the respect we hold for the sacrifices of our forebears.
I consider the public consultation phase of DR09 to have been a success. The Ministry of Defence produced a quality consultation document from within their own staff resources and also established channels for postal, web, phone and email submission options. This resulted in over 600 submissions from groups and individuals. Public submissions were also heard in 16 locations around the country and attended by more than 250 people.
While there are many differing views on how our Defence capabilities should be configured, I am very heartened to find little dissent within the public submissions, in terms of the need for a strong, agile and balanced force.
The findings from the public consultation will inform Defence Review 09. The projected timeline is for the Secretary of Defence, John McKinnon to submit the Defence Assessment to Cabinet by the end of June this year. The three Companion Studies will follow a month later and the Defence White Paper is scheduled for completion by the end of September 2010.
An undertaking of this scale cannot be achieved without the efforts of many and I wish to acknowledge the staff members at the Ministry of Defence, New Zealand Defence Force and other organisations that have distilled a wide array of submissions into a coherent commentary and produced it in this easy to follow format.
At the consultation launch last year, I handed the first two copies of the public booklet to the President of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association, Air Vice Marshal (rtd) Robin Klitscher and Gina Manning, a university student. Together, they represented the past, present and future links of New Zealand society with its Armed Forces.
Today, I intend to hand over the first copies of this report to the representatives of the group that represent the eyes, ears and voice of the Kiwi public. This group includes New Zealand TV, radio, online and print media who are with me here on the bridge of HMNZS Wellington - a fantastic backdrop for the closing of the last chapter and the opening of the new in terms of New Zealand's Defence Force out to 2035.
ENDS
Associate Minister To Release Defence Review Report
Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy will tomorrow hold a press conference on the bridge of HMNZS Wellington to release the summary of submissions received during the public consultation phase of the Government’s Defence Review 09.
"Launched last year at Te Papa in Wellington, the public consultation process for Defence Review 09 gave New Zealanders the opportunity to have their say on defence and security issues.
"The Ministry of Defence received more than 600 written submissions to the Review, and over 250 people attended public meetings held throughout the country. This report summarises the themes from the consultation process," Mrs Roy said.
Release of Defence Review Consultation Summary of Submissions; HMNZS Wellington, Devonport Naval Base, Devonport, Auckland; 11:20am (approx), Friday June 11 2010.
Media wishing to attend are required to display photo ID and be at the Devonport Naval Base main gate by 10:15am. For more information contact Lieutenant Sarah Campbell on (09) 445 5002.
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