Hayes John: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hayes John: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 14 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4361. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa) 
: 
 Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak in this part of the debate on the Appropriation (2012/13 Estimates) Bill and on the New Zealand Defence Force. I would like to begin by adding my condolences to the families of the two soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan and extending to the six wounded soldiers best wishes from this House for a very speedy recovery. Their sacrifice outlines why our Defence Force is so vital: to help protect New Zealand people and territory to conduct and lead missions with key allies particularly in the South Pacific and to enable New Zealand to become a stronger partner in regional and international security. 
I want to commend the Minister of Defence Jonathan Coleman because he has given the Defence Force a direction and a long-term strategy—something it desperately needed after 9 years without any Government leadership. The Government’s vision is for a joint amphibious task force capable of sustained independent deployment and also capable of functioning as a credible part of a wider coalition. All capability decisions are being made with this vision in mind. Decisions are being made with regard to how one capability or a piece of equipment works with another and how this fits within the vision for defence. In short National has a plan for defence and it is led by our Minister. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Yeah run it down into the ground. 
JOHN HAYES 
: In contrast the man interjecting across the House cut valuable equipment from the service without any plan on how to sell it and he gave 210 people the sack as Labour cut them. Labour bought expensive equipment without any plan on how to move or deploy it and also showed so little respect for defence that it made Mark Burton the Minister. I will not forget in 2005 when I first stood for Parliament the announcement by Mr Goff and Helen Clark a week before the election that they had sold the Skyhawks for an amount of $155 million. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: No you’ve got that absolutely wrong. 
JOHN HAYES 
: Yes they did that the week before the election in 2005 and I got straight on the phone to Don Brash and said “Don these guys are telling porkies.” That $155 million sale turned into a $37 million cost because they were unsold and 210 people lost their jobs on the back of that incompetence Mr Goff. 
These are tight financial times and we have maintained Defence Force spending and we are looking to redistribute savings to fund the changes needed to make a 21st century effective Defence Force. The New Zealand Defence Force has achieved $143 million of annual reoccurring efficiencies in the last 12 months. These have been reinvested in military capability. The New Zealand Defence Force will deliver $350 million to $400 million of efficiencies back into the Defence Force by 2014-15. The New Zealand Defence Force has saved $9.7 million through tougher negotiations with contractors and consultants a further $12.2 million through consolidation of some training functions such as driver training and it has saved another $7.9 million from efficiencies in health services. The Government went looking for efficiencies and it has found them because we do not want to waste taxpayer money. We actually have to look—those of us who are electorate MPs—into constituents’ eyes and say “We’re doing the job well and we’re spending your money sensibly and wisely.” 
As a result of those savings we are bringing in new capabilities. We will be replacing the medium and heavy vehicle fleet to ensure that we can take our trucks overseas and drivers will be protected from improvised explosive devices. That is an improvement that Labour never got around to doing. We are bringing in a littoral warfare support group. Two new vessels are currently being built in Northland. These are vessels that can be deployed from a ship or a Hercules to protect our larger vehicles anywhere in the world. 
But whenever a saving is identified it is condemned by the Opposition. The $18.6 million in annual recurring savings in civilianisation has been condemned the $9.3 million in recurring savings from the Reserve Force reform has been condemned and even the $630000 in annual savings from the band reduction was condemned. So would the Opposition have borrowed that extra $142 million per annum? Would it increase that to $350 million or $400 million per annum or would it cut capability? Would it not replace the trucks? Would it not have a littoral warfare support force and not replace the Seasprites? Would it not have upgraded the artillery? 
The Opposition has identified one saving in this House. Mr Goff wants to cut the defensive weapon upgrade for the frigates—a one-off capital saving that he has called “skyrockets for the boys”. This is a cut that would mean deploying vessels to some of the most hostile environments in the world without the ability to defend themselves from anti-shipping missiles. That is what the Defence Force and the New Zealand public know is the Labour Party approach to defence—borrow and spend. Do not look at savings or long-term viability and instead pin the tail on the donkey with cutting capability. That is an Opposition that puts bands over military capabilities. This is a Government that recognises the need for reform develops a plan and leads to it. I congratulate the Minister on his excellence in this regard. Thank you.