A wrap up of 2019 and a big thank you to our overseas personnel

Acknowledging NZDF personnel deployed overseas and their families during the festive season, Mark Mitchell expresses disappointment over the government’s handling of the Defence Estate Regeneration.

The summer holidays are a great time of year to spend time with family and friends. However, as Christmas approaches, it’s important to remember that not all members of the NZDF are on home soil.

I would like to acknowledge our troops who are on overseas deployments this Christmas. We appreciate the sacrifices you make so that New Zealand can contribute to international peace and security.

Around 250 NZDF personnel are currently serving on 11 operations overseas. Working alongside our international partners, these personnel are deployed on peace keeping operations and training missions around the world.

Hon Mark Mitchell is the Opposition Spokesperson for Defence, the previous Minister of Defence, and a former Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee.

While they are serving in overseas headquarters, their families are at home offering support. I would like to acknowledge the family members and friends of NZDF personnel deployed around the world. Each and every one of you plays an important part in supporting our overseas operations.

As Opposition spokesperson for Defence, I have spent 2019 holding the Minister to account on funding commitments for defence. Our relentless pressure on the Government has paid off with the effective relaunch of National’s Defence Capability Plan earlier in the year.

Recently, I was very pleased to see the announcement on the preparatory work at RNZAF Base Ohakea for the arrival of the P8 Poseidons. I remember my meeting with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in Copenhagen where a commitment was made that our respective departments would work together on the procurement of the P8s.

I want to thank and acknowledge both the US Department of Defence and our own Ministry of Defence on the great work they did in putting us in a position to procure the P8s.

However, as previously expressed, I am continually disappointed by the Government’s inability to make estate regeneration a priority. While spending on Defence Estate isn’t sexy or popular, it is long overdue and very important for the health, safety and effectiveness of our Defence Force members.

The Minister has spent most of 2019 looking for reasons to stall vital and overdue investment in our defence estate. National knows how crucial world class facilities and infrastructure is to our Defence Force to maintain military capability.

It can be easy to forget just how much the NZDF does that doesn’t involve the traditional perceptions of security and protecting our citizens from foreign threats. This year the NZDF sent a helicopter to support the Fox River Clean Up mid-year. There is no road access to this area, so the quickest way was by air. They dropped food, mail and equipment to support the work of Government agencies in the middle of the Kermadecs on Raoul Island.

Our Defence Force has supported the work of other government agencies in the Kermadecs for years.

In November, the NZDF began its annual support to Antarctica. The NZDF has been involved in Antarctica since 1955, supporting New Zealand’s contribution to improve scientific knowledge and safeguard the environment. Without this support, New Zealand wouldn’t be able to carry out important work in the region.

And more recently the NZDF has sent firefighters over to Australia to help control the bushfires that were spreading across New South Wales and Queensland.

I’d like to thank the Line of Defence team for the opportunity to regularly contribute to its quarterly magazine. I really enjoy being able to share with our NZDF personnel National’s position on defence related issues and what we are doing to hold the Government to account.

I look forward to connecting with you in the next issue and in the meantime I would like to wish you all a safe, happy Christmas, wherever you may be.