Gallagher Martin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Gallagher Martin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20156] 
9.  
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
 to the  
Minister of Defence 
: What recent decisions has the Government made on defence spending? 
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Defence) 
: 
 Yesterday I announced details of the Defence Sustainability Initiative totalling $4.6 billion over 10 years. It is the fourth stage of a systematic approach by this Government to restore the capability of our Defence Force after it was shamelessly run down throughout the 1990s. This major initiative will enable defence to move forward secure in the knowledge that it has the long-term funding required to meet the country’s defence and security needs. 
Martin Gallagher 
: Has he seen any other reports on defence spending? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: Many. Among them I have seen a number of reports from Dr Brash. In one he is reported as saying that the defence budget should be increased by 10 15 or 20 percent or by $100 million or $200 million. In another report he admitted that he had no defence policy at the moment but said that he would reorganise the money anyway. That funding reprioritisation as he called it would presumably come at the expense of health or education. Today that man said that the Government’s announcement of a 44 percent increase may not be enough. Frankly the only conclusion New Zealanders can reach is that Dr Brash and National have no policy—and on that performance they will not need any. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. As entertaining as the Minister may be for the House I would ask you to consider some of the comments he made towards the end of his answer. If it is to stand that he can make highly political comments like that then we would expect a degree of disorder in the House to follow and indeed questioners to start making highly political comments in their questions. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The Minister should confine himself to his own responsibilities. He went a little off track towards the end. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. We have a specific Speaker’s ruling 145/5 which is an exact example of what we have just seen from the Minister. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. As I ruled the Minister did in answering the question go outside his responsibilities so he was out of order. I thank the member for his assistance. 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I withdraw and apologise for any deviation from the Standing Orders. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the Minister for that. 
Keith Locke 
: Does the Minister agree that he could find the money for necessary Defence Force improvements without increasing the overall level of the defence budget if he phased out the naval combat force the frigates that currently chew up $538 million or over 30 percent of the current defence budget and that that course would be particularly useful as we have much better boats the multi-role vessel and new patrol boats coming on stream? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I have not done the maths on that because it is not the Government’s policy so to do. It was the previous National Government that made the decision not to have the third frigate. However I apologise. It is this Government’s policy to have a well-structured balanced Defence Force. That is what we are building. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: What estimate does the Minister have in the light of yesterday’s announcement about the likely increase in recruitment numbers for each of the armed services and also of any implications for the growth of the Territorial Force? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: The overall anticipated growth is in the order of 2000 personnel or thereabouts over the next 10 years. We anticipate a firming of the Territorial Force numbers and then steady growth in the future.