Benson-Pope David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Benson-Pope David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3776] 
7.  
DAVID BENSON-POPE (NZ Labour—Dunedin South) 
 to the  
Minister of Defence 
: What recent reports has he received on the implementation of the Government’s defence policy? 
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Defence) 
: 
 I have recently read a report commenting on the Government’s defence policy that suggests that in 1999 “the NZDF was perilously low in capability and short of the funds to correct this” because of “nine years of neglect”. I think that is a fair assessment of the situation I inherited upon taking up the responsibility of the defence portfolio in 1999. 
David Benson-Pope 
: Who was the author of the report referred to in the Minister’s reply and what position does he or she hold? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: The author’s somewhat jaundiced view of National’s poor stewardship and funding of defence through 9 long years of neglect—which of course included Mr English’s time as holder of the purse strings—perhaps explains why Mr Worth was but no longer is the defence spokesperson of the National Party. I should note however that news of his removal appears not to have reached Mr Worth given that his views appeared in the  
Otago Daily Times 
 with a banner describing him as the spokesperson. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: When I stand up the member sits down. That last part was completely out of order. 
Simon Power 
: Does he agree with the statements of Peter Reith former Australian Defence Minister that New Zealand’s defence policy should not be “tainted by anti-Americanism” and that “You neglect your own national interests if you leave your defence policy to greenies and peaceniks.”; if not why not? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I have not seen that particular comment by Mr Reith but under this Government there is no risk of this country’s defence policy being left to anyone other than the Government. We have a plan we have a policy and that is something we have not had after 9 years of neglect. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Is it part of the Government’s defence policy to oversee the continuing collapse of the territorial forces; if not what action will he take to reverse the trend that has seen the Army Territorial Force reduced to less than 43 percent of what it stood at in 1992? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I am glad the member raised that issue. It is an important one and one that almost every party in the House has been working on cooperatively. Had I known that ACT was interested we would have got it involved too. I can tell the member that a bill that heavily adapts Mr Mapp’s original member’s bill will be coming back to the select committee very soon. It has been a complex matter but it will put in place a raft of positive measures for the future of the Territorial Force which we strongly value. 
Keith Locke 
: Can the Minister assure us that no new New Zealand ground forces will be committed to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and does he agree that the US-led effort there is now more directed against those warlords who are at odds with the Karzai Government than against al-Qaeda? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I can assure the member that no new decisions have been taken further to the ones that have been announced and there are no plans to change the current deployments in Afghanistan.