Mapp Wayne: Visiting Forces Bill — Second Reading 
Mapp Wayne: Visiting Forces Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:617;Page:12814] 
Dr WAYNE MAPP (National—North Shore) 
: 
 Perhaps the last comment by the Minister said it all. This bill is primarily motivated by the need to implement in our domestic law the status of forces agreement with Australia. It is worth noting that that agreement comes from 1998 so we are now 6 years down the track. 
As the Minister said accurately Australia is our most important defence partner. Obviously Australia is not just our defence partner but our most important partner in so many things—trade interchange of people. Australia is our closest partner so one would think that a Government that was concerned about the quality of the relationship with Australia particularly these days when our own region is—I think everyone would acknowledge—somewhat more unstable than it used to be would have dealt with this issue with some degree of urgency rather than waiting 6 years. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: National was the Government. 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: The Minister says National was the Government. This Government has now been in office for nearly 5 years. That is time enough I would suggest for any Government that is serious about the relationship to act more quickly. 
What this bill reminds one of of course is the quality and nature of that relationship. We know it has been under stress and strain. The Minister was in the uncomfortable position late last year and earlier this year of having to answer questions about our deployments to the Solomons. Were we sending a company? Were we not sending a company? Did Australia have to actively ask? The reality is that the New Zealand Government had to be prodded into action because the Australian Government had seen inaction on the part of this Government. It goes further than that of course. That issue was just a minor symptom one might say of a deeper deterioration in the relationship. 
I think every New Zealander who takes an interest in these issues will know that there has been tension in the regional security relationship for a number of years. Frankly New Zealand has not been pulling its weight so now we are in the unfortunate position of being the supplicant—always the supplicant—because of the Government’s neglect of a fundamental obligation concerning defence. 
Members will be surprised to learn that defence expenditure is now 0.8 percent of GDP assessed internationally. The Minister sighs but he knows that is the truth. He does not even interject to rebut it because he knows it is true. When compared to our friend Australia our closest ally which is spending 2 percent of GDP it is not surprising that we are seen not to be making the effort. The reality is that the deployment to East Timor—another example of regional cooperation—stretched our defence forces and I believe the Government would acknowledge that. 
What has the Government done? Has it increased the size of the Army? Has it introduced three battalions? Has it ordered a third frigate? It has done none of those things and the answer is no. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: Who cancelled the frigates? 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: The Minister doth protest but I just need to remind him of the photograph from last year. Our entire Navy was in the Gulf of Oman 12000 miles away from New Zealand. Not a single major vessel was stationed to protect our region which is unstable. The Minster might be distressed to know these facts. I guess he has not been dealing with them satisfactorily. 
I say to Government members that when they come to this House having produced a bill as important as this about the relationship and it has had 6 years to do so members on this side of the House can only conclude that the Government is not taking the relationship seriously. I want to put those things on record because they are important. The net effect is that New Zealand has now been surrendering leadership entirely to Australia. 
There was a time when we used to do things in partnership with Australia; our voice really counted. But this Government firstly has run down the Defence Force and secondly has not played a full role in the politics of the situation and in the relationship issues. We are now getting continuing statements of concern from Canberra and this Government remains silent. It has lost the sense of participation of leadership of some kind of joint enterprise. That is a very telling feature. Surely this country would always expect to be a co-leader within our region to be working in a joint enterprise with Australia as opposed to being the distant junior partner which is where we have been relegated. 
It is all very well for the Government to introduce bills such as this but what members on this side of the House and the country want to see is this Government taking a serious approach to defence and regional issues so that we are seen to be working alongside our Australian partners in a true partnership that embodies the spirit of the Anzac tradition.