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DEFENCE AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
INTRODUCTION
New Zealand's Defence Forces have a proud tradition in fulfilling their responsibilities. They have conscientiously served to protect our people, our borders, our values, and our sovereignty and have played an active and responsible part in the maintenance of international law, freedom, stability and peace.
New Zealand First believes that successive governments have allowed our defence forces to be run down and this trend must be reversed.
Our defence objectives are best achieved through trade, diplomacy, economic and technical aid, continuing support for the United Nations, and in peace-keeping and peace-making operations.
We must focus on the reality that New Zealand is a maritime nation with considerable maritime protection responsibilities and a role to play in the South Pacific and South East Asia in times of civil emergency or war. New Zealand First is committed to building and maintaining a professional and effective Defence Force appropriate to our size that is self-sufficient, and capable of operating with maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
While New Zealand has not generally used combat Navy and Air Force units these elements, along with Special Force Troops, have become the mainstays of successful peace-keeping operations. Such deployments are easier to support and more effective.
Many of the problems that have plagued our Defence Force in recent times have resulted from the competing needs of different services. More can be done to achieve greater cohesiveness and efficiency to maximise the application of funds.
We will continue to honour, maintain and build upon existing Defence agreements and particularly the Closer Defence Relationships with Australia as the cornerstone of our bilateral security arrangements.
New Zealand First recognises the new threats posed by international terrorism and rogue nations. We also remain committed to New Zealand's anti-nuclear policy and are equally opposed to the possession and use of chemical and biological weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
The most valuable asset in our Defence Forces is our personnel. Accordingly we must protect their conditions of service. We recognise both the unique situation faced by Defence Force families and the inability of service personnel to advocate on their own behalf for improvements or adjustments to their levels of remuneration.
Our Defence Forces need security in planning which will be enhanced if there is cross party consensus. New Zealand First also values the positive part that our Defence Forces have played in teaching and guiding young New Zealanders through the Limited Service Volunteer Scheme, cadet corps and High School Service Academies which enables those young Kiwis to go on to lead productive lives as valued members of the community.
We also place great value on the service given by our veterans and accept that the nation has a special obligation to them, particularly if they have suffered as a result of their service.
PLANS
New Zealand First will:
- put in place programmes to address the exodus of Defence Force personnel at all levels and to attend to staffing issues in general;
- continue to structure policy as closely as possible around the recommendations that we supported in "Defence Beyond 2000";
- review entry standard requirements to ensure that no suitable candidates are excluded from joining the Defence Forces;
- establish plans to rebuild the territorial forces, in particular programmes which encourage them to reconnect with their communities;
- actively pursue peace and stability through diplomacy, economic and technical aid, trade and the use of international forums and associations including the United Nations;
- contribute to global security through the provision of Defence Force elements as and when appropriate, and ensure New Zealand's forces are never pawns being manipulated for political gain;
- make greater use of our Defence Forces including Regular and Territorial/Reserve elements both in New Zealand and in the South Pacific region in civil assistance and civil aid programmes;
- honour, maintain and build upon existing Defence agreements including the Five Power Defence Agreement and the Closer Defence Relationships with Australia. We will seek to strengthen relationships with the United States, Britain, France and all South Pacific Island nations with the aim of extending opportunities for military training at all levels;
- expand the Limited Service Volunteer and cadet core schemes in order to provide training for youth at risk aimed at building confidence, self-esteem, responsibility, and self-discipline;
- ensure the early procurement of essential modern equipment for our Defence Force to avoid obsolescence and to enhance a high level of interoperability with our closest allies;
- establish an Armed Forces Pay Review Board (AFPRB) within the State Services Commission (SSC), which will be tasked to report annually to the Minister on pay and conditions. The aim will be to move the issue from the office of the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) into the Executive, so leaving CDF free to advocate for the forces and to command them. By this means we will rebuild the social contract necessary between officers and their personnel and we will put the responsibility for remuneration of our Defence Force personnel with the Executive who are accountable to the electorate, on whose behalf the armed forces serve;
- maintain New Zealand's commitment to its Nuclear Free Policy; and,
- work towards funding our Defence Forces at a level of 2% of GDP.
DEFENCE FORCE STRUCTURE AND CAPABILITY
New Zealand First will:
- create a new maritime focused Defence Force along the lines of the British Royal Marines and the US Marine Corps that concentrates our Defence Force elements;
- ensure that this Marine Force has fully integrated combat elements including an Air Combat Capability, capable of providing close air support, deploying across sea gaps, and landing ashore in the absence of port facilities;
- maximise efficiencies by streamlining command, control, training, administration and support;
- concentrate Officer training into a single Officer Training facility in order to socialise the core culture of the new organisation into an integrated whole. This will eliminate interservice competition and the likelihood of dysfunctionalism at senior levels;
- refocus the Infantry Battalions into three Marine Battalions (two regular and one territorial) capable of deployment by air, land or sea, by foot or by vehicle with their primary area of operations being the South Pacific and South East Asia but with the ability to operate with Coalition Forces anywhere;
- expand the size of the New Zealand Special Air Service and have them work more closely with British, Australian and US Defence Forces in order to improve their experience base and unit/force interoperability;
- review the purchase, use, maintenance, and viability of light armoured vehicles;
- review the disposal process of the Skyhawks, Air Mackies and the M113s, with a view to the practicalities of tagging them onto refurbishment programmes being undertaken by the Australians; and,
- ensure we have the right vehicles for this new Marine focus.
VETERANS' AFFAIRS
New Zealand First will:
- consult closely with the Defence Force, the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association (RNZRSA) and other veterans' associations to ensure that our veterans are properly recognised for their special contribution to New Zealand's security and that their pensions maintain relativity plus an additional amount of 10% in recognition of their sacrifice;
- actively work towards a resolution for Vietnam Veterans and their children who have been affected by Agent Orange with the aim of taking positive action for those in need of medical assistance;
- take positive action to assist the veterans of the nuclear testing at Christmas Island and their families in their legal action to achieve compensation for the negative effects on their health;
- work with the RNZRSA towards providing veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Malaya and Vietnam with a sustainable health care package; and,
- build a National Memorial Park to provide a place of beauty, and of peace and tranquillity in recognition of their sacrifices.
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