9. Question No. 9—DefenceHon MARK MITCHELL (National—Rodney) to the Minister of DefenceQuestion No. 9—Defence9. Hon MARK MITCHELL (National—Rodney) to the Minister of Defence: On what date and at what time was the decision made to give the Assistant Chief of Defence authority over all quarantine and managed isolation facilities including the processes around the exit of those who had been in the facilities?Hon RON MARK (Minister of Defence): Firstly can I thank the member for asking me a primary question. It's the first one since 13 March last year.SPEAKER: Order! That's not necessary. Hon RON MARK: I'm sorry Mr Speaker; my apologies. I have been advised that the decision which I fully support and welcome was made by the Prime Minister on the evening of 16 June. There was an unacceptable failure of the system as the Prime Minister stated. Military precision discipline rigour and operational expertise were clearly needed something that I have been consistently in support of throughout the entire COVID-19 response—SPEAKER: Order! The question has been answered.Hon Mark Mitchell: So why was a New Zealand Defence Force officer appointed to take over managed isolation facilities weeks before that date?Hon RON MARK: Could you say that again please?SPEAKER: A bit louder I think.Hon RON MARK: A bit louder please.Hon Mark Mitchell: So why was a New Zealand Defence Force officer appointed to take over managed isolation facilities well before that date?Hon RON MARK: Oh Air Commodore Digby Webb had been working in the operational command centre (OCC) under the command of former Police Commissioner Mike Bush since about 31 March. He was seconded there in a role by the Chief of Defence Force. This recent elevation into a more senior position and a higher level of authority is a decision that's been made by the Prime Minister and from what I understand also from Mike Bush who leads the OCC.Hon Mark Mitchell: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can I just seek your guidance? The Minister didn't answer my question at all. I asked him about a New Zealand Defence Force officer being appointed to take over the management of the managed isolation facilities. He hasn't responded to that question at all.SPEAKER: I think he did. I mean it mightn't satisfy the member and it might leave some further supplementaries that he wants to ask but as far as I'm aware the gentleman concerned is a senior officer.Hon Mark Mitchell: What is the name of the officer that was appointed prior to the 17th to take over the managed isolation facilities?SPEAKER: Well there is an assertion in the question; I'll let it run. And the other point that I'll make to the member is that he has a very narrow primary question which probably doesn't include that matter at all. But because there's clearly some interest from the Opposition in whether or not someone else was appointed to that job before Digby—what? I'm sorry. Air Commodore—Hon RON MARK: Air Commodore.SPEAKER: Yep then—Hon RON MARK: Thank you Mr Speaker. I am struggling a little to understand precisely what the question is but I might be able to shed some light and address the member's question in this way. Air Commodore Digby Webb has been in the operational control centre.SPEAKER: No no—[Interruption] No no. The member will resume his seat. It was a pretty specific question about someone other than that particular individual—[Interruption] Order! I'm on my feet. I'm not going to let the Minister go on about the qualifications of someone who was in the primary question and therefore he should be prepared for but that's not who the question was asked about. If the Minister is not aware or disputes the assertion that's made he should say that but he doesn't need to go on about the qualifications of a person who the question is not about.Hon RON MARK: Well I reject the premise of that question Mr Speaker.Hon Mark Mitchell: Does he think it's good for New Zealand that because of Government failures our defence forces have been asked to police our civilian population?Hon RON MARK: Once again I reject the premise of that question. The defence forces have not been asked to police the civilian population by the Prime Minister. An officer who was assisting with a particular role has simply been—for want of a better term—promoted in the field because he's done an outstanding job. Now the situation is instead of him assisting health officials he is now leading in that particular role.Hon Mark Mitchell: So can he clarify for the House then that the only thing that has changed is that they have appointed someone new to lead the response?Hon RON MARK: If the member's question is: Has the officer concerned been promoted?" the answer is yes. If the member's question is: "Has the Prime Minister identified some qualities and indeed has Mike Bush seen some qualities in this person who had a slightly less senior role—maybe as a senior officer—into taking total responsibility now for the entire network of isolation facilities throughout New Zealand?" yeah he has taken total responsibility now at the direction of the Prime Minister and congratulated for that.Hon Mark Mitchell: So what has changed at our border in terms of managing our managed isolation and quarantine processes where we've seen multiple breaches—what has changed other than one person being put in charge of the response?Hon RON MARK: Well I think the member's a little confused. Air Commodore Digby Webb has not been put in control of the borders actually. He has got a specific job around the quarantine facilities and the management of the personnel within that.Hon Mark Mitchell: Will the Minister now take responsibility for any further breaches now that he has one of his senior New Zealand Defence Force personnel in that role?Hon RON MARK: I've been waiting since March to get asked some sensible questions—I'm still waiting.Hon Mark Mitchell: Will the Minister now take responsibility for any further breaches now that he has one of his senior New Zealand Defence Force personnel in that role?Hon RON MARK: I'll take responsibility for the defence of anything that the Defence Force is engaged in that is my responsibility. Right now that senior officer highly competent very professional who has been seconded into that role since 31 March whose skill and expertise have been recognised by the Prime Minister who has expressed such confidence in him in the Defence Force and he has been promoted—yeah if I want to take responsibility for that I'll do so. But I would say to that member I have confidence in the New Zealand Defence Force and so too does this Government as has been indicated by the record levels of expenditure on defence platforms on defence capability. That officer in particular is the Assistant Chief of Defence capability—capability. He has been at the core of some very substantial projects that have been run in the last 2½ years. I have total confidence in him and I'll take responsibility for anything that comes out of that including the credit."