Gallagher Martin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Gallagher Martin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:626;Page:20805] 
12.  
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
 to the  
Minister of Defence 
: What defence policies were announced in the recent Budget and has he received any other reports of other defence policy initiatives? 
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Defence) 
: 
 Yes I announced the Defence Sustainability Initiative which totalled $4.6 billion of new expenditure in Budget 2005. This is the fourth stage of a systematic approach by this Government to restore the capacity and capability of our Defence Force after it was savaged and run down throughout the 1990s. I have also received a report of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association’s response that this announcement represents a “very carefully thought out and measured approach”. 
Martin Gallagher 
: What other reports has the Minister received on defence policy initiatives? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I have received several reports. One shows that after 5½ years in Opposition there is a party whose leader has no defence policy. His defence spokesperson will have a chat and think about what his party’s policy could be but it will spend more anyway on whatever comes up. That party’s finance spokesperson will cut 2.1 percent annually from Government spending. This would result in abolishing the entire helicopter fleet or tying up the frigates or putting aside the entire army engineering corps. This is the National Party’s policy for defence. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I draw your attention to Speaker’s ruling 145/5 made in 1993 by Deputy Speaker Gerard. It makes it quite clear that a Minister when responding to a question that asks whether he has received a report may not refer to hypothetical situations about other parties’ policies. That is exactly what we just heard from the Minister—a direct contravention of that Speaker’s ruling. 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: The member suggests that it was a hypothetical situation. I therefore seek leave to table the following document: a transcript from Paul Holmes’ show on Newstalk ZB on 27 April in which in response to the question: “So you don’t have a policy?” Dr Brash said: “Not right now.” 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I will deal first with the point of order. The Minister did not breach the Speaker’s ruling in his answer to the question. I understand he now seeks leave to table a document. 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: Yes I do seek leave. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I also seek leave to table a transcript from  
Focus on Politics 
 on Radio New Zealand on Saturday 7 May in which when asked by the presenter: “Are you going into the election with an election policy that says you will review defence? Is that going to be the substance of your policy?” John Carter said: “Yes. That’s the substance of our policy.” 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is objection. It will not be tabled. 
John Carter 
: Does the Minister think that being the chairman of a Taupo peace group for 10 years qualifies him to be the sole judge of our nation’s defence policy and is his background the reason why Labour has moved towards an isolationist policy which has resulted in a serious exodus of trained personnel from our army? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I think the advice streams to the Minister of Defence including this one come from the Secretary of Defence the Chief of Defence Force and the experts who are there for that purpose. As the member has apparently noted it is not his job or mine to pretend to be the leading expert. I advise the member to read the joint statement from Senator Robert Hill and myself from last week at our very successful joint Ministers meeting in which we further advanced the closer defence relationship between Australia and New Zealand. 
Ron Mark 
: Has the Minister read the article that appeared in the  
Dominion Post 
 this morning that stated that the Army is currently suffering 19 percent attrition rates that the biggest shortages are in the junior ranks lance corporals—[ 
Interruption 
] I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I really am— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: There was no interjection. Members are chattering but unfortunately members frequently chatter during question time. The member will please continue with his question. 
Ron Mark 
: Has the Minister read the article in the  
Dominion Post 
 this morning that highlights that the Army is suffering a 19 percent attrition rate that the biggest shortages are in the junior ranks lance corporals corporals and sergeant areas and that almost all army units are under-strength and there are critical shortages; if so would he not agree that the reason the nation is in this situation is threefold: firstly because Jenny Shipley the former National Government Prime Minister refused New Zealand First’s request to increase pay bands for junior ranks— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am sorry to interrupt the member. This is not a speech. The member will please come to the point of the question. That is why people chatter. 
Ron Mark 
: Secondly that this Government took 4 years to implement pay rises that it should have done in one fell swoop in 1 year; and thirdly that junior ranks have finally accepted that this “peacenik” Government will not deploy the infantry battalions overseas on operations except if they are in the SAS? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: In response to that very very long speech— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: It was more of a job application than a speech. 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: Perhaps it was a job application. In response to some of those questions let me say to the member that this Government responded in year one and in its first Budget and in every Budget since by putting more money into pay and salaries for defence personnel. Secondly in this year’s Budget $4.6 billion has been allocated to the Defence Force all but $209 million of which is going into the building and rebuilding of capacity and capability. It will take 10 years to absorb the sort of money that this Government is pumping into support. Thirdly the Defence Force is having to compete like every other industry within a buoyant economy in which there are so many job options that it is competing for our best and brightest. I am confident that the Defence Force will be successful in building and rebuilding its capability. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I am not sure: was that a “Yes” or a “No”? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I call on Government order of the day No. 1.