2. Question No. 2—DefenceRt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) to the Minister of DefenceQuestion No. 2—Defence2. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) to the Minister of Defence: What was the New Zealand Defence Force response to the impact of tropical cyclone Harold in the Pacific? SPEAKER: As I call the Hon Ron Mark he has indicated to me that this question is longer than would normally be acceptable. Hon RON MARK (Minister of Defence): Thank you Mr Speaker. Within hours of tropical cyclone Harold leaving a path of devastation across Vanuatu Fiji and Tonga the Government stepped up to provide assistance to our Pacific friends in their time of need. Thousands of people have been made homeless drinking water has been affected and many people are now relying on aid for food after the cyclone had destroyed crops and their homes. Alongside serious packages of financial support made available from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) Ministers approved the deployment of a range of defence assets to respond to the disaster. Multiple P-3 Orion aerial surveillance flights were conducted over affected areas in Tonga Fiji and Vanuatu and six C-130 flights were completed to Vanuatu and Fiji to deliver relief supplies. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Minister how did these flights help the countries affected? Hon RON MARK: The surveillance flights by No. 5 Squadron's P-3 Orions were critical as they quickly gave the Governments of Vanuatu Fiji and Tonga high-quality aerial imagery of damage including in remote areas enabling them to respond and prioritise aid to where it was most needed. The flights by No. 40 Squadron C-130's Hercules delivered almost 30 tonnes of much-needed supplies to Vanuatu and Fiji including tarpaulins water containers generators chainsaw kits satellite phones family hygiene supplies agricultural toolkits and in the case of Vanuatu a privately owned helicopter to be used in the relief effort. Rt Hon Winston Peters: What other tasks did the air force undertake while in Fiji and Vanuatu? Hon RON MARK: These missions also supported the massive and unprecedented MFAT global repatriation effort as part of the COVID-19 response with C-130 flights bringing home 15 New Zealanders from Fiji and 43 New Zealanders from Vanuatu including six Volunteer Service Abroad staffers who had been working there. In recognition of the global threat posed by COVID-19 and the vulnerability of Pacific Islands to an outbreak extra precautions were taken to prevent any potential spread. This included air-load teams operating in work bubbles sanitising cargo before it was loaded and again after it was unloaded and medical teams being on hand as well as personal hygiene procedures being carried out by all personnel involved both here in New Zealand and in Vanuatu and Fiji itself. I'd like to extend the thanks of the coalition Government to the Defence Force personnel who were involved in this response for their professionalism and care and for demonstrating what Pacific Reset does look like in action and particularly I'd like to note the efforts of No. 230 Squadron No. 5 Squadron and No. 40 Squadron. Rt Hon Winston Peters: How extensive have the Defence Force been in using their assets for onshore and offshore humanitarian assistance and advancing New Zealand's good neighbour footprint? Hon RON MARK: Well the entire effort that was undertaken by the Defence Force was done at the same time that they were responding back home here in New Zealand. It has been noted in my most recent conversation with Lord Ma'afu the Minister of Defence for Tonga that the efforts of our personnel have not gone unnoticed in their hour of need. Vanuatu Fiji and Tonga were all very grateful for the work and for the promptness in which the Defence Force responded and the promptness of the Government's response to them as well. Thank you.