I had hoped to write about a few things regarding the defence policies of the election campaign. Unfortunately, it seems I won’t be doing that much at all. In the previous election, both Labour and National lacked substantial defence policies to discuss. Instead, it fell to the minor parties to present their own policies – some good, some terrible, and some just weird.

This time around, the first voices to speak on defence matters come from NZ First and the Marxist-Pagan parties.

Let’s start with the Gaia-worshipping nutjobs:

The Green Party says it is concerned by New Zealand’s presence in a large-scale international military exercise in Australia.

…

The Green Party’s defence spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said it was alarming to see the defence force participate in the militarisation of the Pacific.

“China and the US are engaged in some kind of competition over the Pacific right now and New Zealand must display a principled, independent voice and lift our Pacific neighbours above the interests of these overly-militarised superpowers.”

Ghahraman said the Pacific had a long history of being harmed by other countries’ military exercises.

New Zealand Defence Force’s war games participation a concern, says Green Party | RNZ News

Yes that’s right – deceitful CV fiction-writer Golriz Ghararaman does not want the New Zealand Defence Force to participate in military exercises to practice doing the very thing they exist for. Never mind that literally since the existence of the NZ Military, it has participated in exercises (which used to be called manoeuvres, but never, ever called the silly ‘war games’ which is a phrase only NZ journalists use) to test and develop capability. Never mind that several times a year we will do it with our partners and allies from around the region. Fortunately Radio NZ got some comment from somebody sane:

But Victoria University’s director of strategic studies said New Zealand’s involvement in Exercise Talisman Sabre was a timely return to combat readiness for the defence forces.

David Capie said the war games represented the first chance to work alongside this country’s military partners since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“For a long time New Zealanders have started to think that the reason we have a defence force is about some of those other tasks – responding to floods, responding to cyclones, responding to natural disasters – but the reason we have a defence force is to be able to give the government options and choices should it need to use military effect.”

I recall a conversation I had with Iain Lees-Galloway, the Labour spokesman for Defence, during a campaign event in Palmerston North a few elections ago. I asked him why anyone in the NZDF should vote for Labour, given their inevitable reliance on the Greens to gain power, who had radical views on defence matters. He responded with a grimace, stating through gritted teeth that “the Greens will never ever get anywhere near Defence policy.” The Greens are simply not respected by anyone in Parliament (except for Te Paati Maori, formerly known as The Maori Party), so it’s perplexing why our journalists continue to give attention to their views on defence matters.

The other party making headlines for talking about Defence is Winston First. Announcing their policy to win Whangarei and Northland, Winston proposes the following policies, which rather strongly resemble pork-barrel politics:

  1. Four lane highway from Puhoi to Whangarei
  2. Re-open the Marsden Point Refinery (under state ownership)
  3. Move Port of Auckland to Northport (and Tauranga), with a rail link to the Main Trunk Line
  4. Open a drydock at Northland
  5. Move the RNZN from Devonport to Whangarei

It’s that fifth point that is interesting. It’s old news – they previously rolled it out when trying to win Northland for Shane Jones. Expanding on it, Winston says this:

And we are going to move the New Zealand Navy from Devonport in Auckland to Northport. Why? Because it is economically far more sound to do so, and strategically far more wise to do so.

Literally the only people asking to move the RNZN from Devonport to Whangarei are the politicians trying to win the electorate seats of Whangarei and Northland. Here’s some other perspectives and thoughts which are unaddressed by this policy announcement:

  • What compensation will be given to RNZN families who will have to take their children out of schools, churches, sports clubs and all the rest of it?
  • Does moving the navy base include establishing proper housing in Whangarei? If so, how many houses and what will be the cost?
  • If Devonport is sold, will the proceeds be reinvested into the NZDF budget or just general Crown accounts? Speaking of selling Devonport, is there an obligation to the local iwi to be given or sold the assets?
  • What exactly exists at Whangarei that doesn’t exist in Devonport? There is even an operational Drydock at Devonport!
  • Will partners of RNZN personnel have the same employment opportunities in Whangarei as they do in the North Shore and Auckland?

I don’t see the wisdom in spending an exorbitant amount of money to move the RNZN base from Devonport to Whangarei unless it’s simply a ploy to win the electorate with other people’s money. Instead, it would be more reasonable to invest in upgrading Devonport and addressing the housing needs of RNZN families.