JONATHAN COLEMAN MP for Northcote

New trucks for Defence Force

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:35:00 +1200

Bamyan: An Imprint on Kiwi Hearts

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:34:42 +1200

The departure of the last Kiwi soldier last week from Bamyan, Afghanistan marked the end of a decade of remarkable Kiwi effort in the province. Much has been written on the legacy that we leave behind, and the tragic losses that New Zealand suffered in the province. Kiwis can be justifiably proud of the gains we have made in security, education, health, agriculture and basic infrastructure. We can also be extremely proud of the efforts of our people in Defence, Police, and the civil service. They have represented the country extremely well.

Less has been written about the bonds that have grown between the Kiwis who served there and the people of Bamyan. A key theme running through the discussions held around the recent flag lowering ceremony at Kiwibase was the high esteem in which the New Zealanders were held by the local people. Provincial Governor Habiba Sarabi talked about it extensively: the fact that for a decade Kiwis had engaged with local people and respected their culture was identified as crucial to our success in the province. The New Zealanders were seen as friends by the overwhelming majority of the Bamyan population.
Consequently the partnership between locals and the PRT ensured a generally secure environment that nutured successful development projects.

This classic "hearts and minds" approach is something that is essential to any successful counterinsurgency. Yet for Kiwis it's not something contrived but rather it comes naturally (even if we say so ourselves). I witnessed multiple everyday examples of this on my recent visit: a soldier chatting to farmers in Dari, the local tongue; the easy interchange between Kiwis and local kids, and the strong bond between our troops and the Afghan interpreters.

Our people in Afghanistan couldn't have done their work without the efforts of those local interpreters and they were an integral and loyal part of our efforts. When I first went to Bamyan a year ago I met with the PRT interpreters at their request. They feared for their safety as they had been in meetings between the PRT and Taleban and been photographed and threatened by insurgents. They requested resettlement in New Zealand when the PRT left.

Bamyan is safe by Afghan standards and the local insurgent networks have been smashed. Governor Sarabi and her security chiefs all stated that they were happy with the state of security and the capacity of local forces to maintain it. However it is impossible to prove a negative ie that there isn't some level of justification for the stated fears of the interpreters. There was also the issue of fairness and acknowledging that our work would have been impossible without their efforts. On balance I believe that resettlement for the 30 interpreters and their 65 immediate dependents is the right thing to do.

Bamyan is a beautiful province with a terrible history. From Kiwibase you can clearly see The City of Screams, a mountain citadel where Genghis Khan slaughtered a whole city. Looming large over the town are the remains of the Buddhas that the Taliban destroyed only just over a decade ago. It's the mix of spectacular landscape, bloody history and the resilience of the people that makes a lasting impact on any visitor.

It's one of those places that puts first world problems into perspective. The sight of a group of Afghan kids dressed in rags, laughing and happy to see the Kiwi soldiers; the joy on a child's face as he was given a simple black NZDF baseball cap. Bamyan, Afghanistan is a place no visitor could ever forget.

New Zealand Service - Chunuk Bair Memorial - Gallipoli

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:18:00 +1200

Today, Anzac Day, marks the anniversary of the first New Zealand and Australian landings on the Gallipoli peninsula on the 25th of April 1915. We remember those New Zealanders who fought and died here 98 years ago. We also pay our respects to the Turks who were fighting to defend their homeland, and our allies who fought beside us. We also commemorate the dead and those who have served in all conflicts in which New Zealand has taken part.

Let us also take pause to thank the young New Zealand men and women of our armed forces who continue to serve in the time-honoured tradition of their Gallipoli forebears, often far from home and their loved ones.

They protect New Zealand’s interests and help keep the peace around the globe, in places such as Afghanistan, South Sudan, South Korea, Sinai and the Gulf of Aden. To our veterans both past and present, and their families, your service to our country is deeply appreciated.

The words “Chunuk Bair” resonate like few others down the decades of New Zealand’s military history. This place has become a byword for sacrifice, tragedy and heroism, a place where New Zealanders and our allies fought courageously against overwhelming odds.

After the initial landings in April 1915, the battle on the peninsula quickly degenerated into a deadly stalemate with little ground gained by either side and our people pinned down in Anzac Cove. A decision was made to mount an attempted breakout, with the New Zealanders tasked with the capture of Chunuk Bair, a ridge overlooking the north of the Anzac perimeter.

Between the 6th and 10th of August the New Zealanders undertook a sustained and ultimately failed offensive to capture and hold this ridge. What went on here has passed into national legend and forms a central part of our Gallipoli story; an assault that should have occurred under cover of darkness, but through the separation of troops was carried out in broad daylight with the needless slaughter of New Zealand troops; the subsequent capture of Chunuk Bair, by night, and the bloody and brutal hand to and combat with bayonet and rifle butt to defend it. The bodies of the New Zealanders and Turks piled up in the trenches around where we are gathered now.

Hundreds of young New Zealand lives were wasted on this spot before being relieved by British reinforcements. On the 10th of August, the Turks, led from the front by Ataturk, retook the position in an overwhelming massed counter attack with the loss of 1000 British lives. The New Zealand battalions fought for their lives to defend their position at the Apex, our machine gunners stopping the Turks from advancing down the spur.

One legendary New Zealand name from Chunuk Bair is Lieutenant William Malone, a man who always put the interests of his men first, and refused to let them be slaughtered in a senseless daytime attack on this ridge, insisting that they wait until cover of darkness. Colonel Malone lost his life here at Chunuk Bair.

Tragically the Malone name was to reverberate across the years when his great great grandson Lance Corporal Rory Malone of the 2nd / 1st battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment was killed in action at the Battle of Baghuk in Bamyan, Afghanistan last August.

After the terrible failure of the August Offensive, no more attempts were made to capture this ridge. The focus turned to ending the campaign and withdrawing. Of the eight and a half thousand New Zealanders who served at Gallipoli, nearly one in three was killed. In all, 2,721 New Zealanders were killed on this peninsula, and another 4,852 were wounded. One of the real sadnesses of Gallipoli is that over half our New Zealand dead rest here in unmarked graves. 850 such New Zealand names are recorded here at Chunuk Bair on one of four New Zealand memorials to the missing.

Our experience at Gallipoli, would have profound significance for us as a nation. Young men left New Zealand to serve in WW1 in search of great adventure, a chance to get away from the mundanity of early colonial life. They were totally naive to the realities of war.

Yet out of the slaughter the predominant strand of our national identity would be woven. Prior to Gallipoli, our men had tended to see themselves as citizens of the British Empire, British subjects who hailed from the provinces of Otago, Canterbury, Wellington and Auckland; Māori and white man; after Gallipoli a real sense of independent nationhood began to emerge. Gallipoli was the furnace in which was forged the modern collective New Zealand identity.

A funny thing is happening with Anzac Day back home in New Zealand. It’s getting bigger with every year throughout the country. More and more young people are proudly wearing their grandfathers’ and great-grand fathers’ medals.

I believe that in an uncertain and rapidly changing world, where superficial considerations so often predominate, we identify with the values, the courage, the mateship, the sacrifice and the simple unquestioning commitment of those who served at Gallipoli and subsequent conflicts.

The Anzac spirit is a reminder to us of the best that Kiwis can be, the yard stick against which we measure ourselves collectively. Cyril Bassett, our only VC winner at Gallipoli, won his Victoria Cross here at Chunuk Bair. He had left his clerical job in Auckland in search of adventure, and later wrote “Real courage isn’t an act of daring; it’s carrying on. That’s what the Anzacs did.”

It’s great to see so many young Kiwis here today, and the fact that you’ve made such an effort to be here is testament to the reverence in which we hold the Anzac tradition. The original Anzacs would have been humbled and amazed that their story means so much to their countrymen nearly a century on. They wouldn’t have seen themselves as heroes and they wouldn’t have wanted the fuss; they are heroes, and there is no tribute we can pay them which is too great.

It is encumbent on all of us who have never known the sorrows of war to never forget the sacrifices of those who have. We live in freedom today because, when their nation called, ordinary Kiwis put aside the affairs of their daily lives, and came from the uttermost ends of the earth, to make the supreme sacrifice in places like Chunuk Bair.

Lest We Forget

Dawn service - Anzac Commemorative Site - Gallipoli

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:16:00 +1200

E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga karanga maha e huihui nei

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

There is no more poignant and evocative place for any New Zealander to be present than at dawn on Anzac day, on the Gallipoli peninsula.

It’s a place you’ve never been to before, but at the same time you’ve grown up with. It’s a place of sadness, but a place that makes you very proud. It’s a place which for New Zealanders distils and lays clear all the qualities which we hold dear in our national character.

It’s an honour and a huge responsibility to speak on behalf of the Government, and the people of New Zealand, on the hallowed ground of the Gallipoli Peninsula.

At dawn on the 25th of April 98 years ago, soldiers from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps came ashore here.

These landings would mark the start of a brutal and tragic campaign, which would stretch over eight long months.

The soldiers from both sides who fought at Gallipoli, demonstrated extraordinary courage and fortitude in the face of constant lethal force played out against a backdrop of extreme hardship.

The Anzacs would remain on the peninsula, doggedly for eight months, paying a terrible price. Of the eight and a half thousand New Zealanders who landed at Gallipoli, nearly one in three were killed. The long lists of names etched on the memorials that stand in every town and city in New Zealand, bear testimony to the deep scars the Great War inflicted on our society.

Overall, the human cost of the Gallipoli campaign was staggering. There were over half a million casualties from all nations, including 130,000 killed, during those eight months. We remember the soldiers from the many other countries who fought bravely on both sides here and now lie together, beside their Anzac and Turkish brethren.

For New Zealand, the events at Gallipoli would have a profound influence in shaping our national consciousness. Gallipoli will ever run as a crucial strand in the New Zealand story; it’s the touchstone we turn to in times of national stress, the Anzac tradition a deep source of inspiration.

I acknowledge the thousands of Kiwis and Aussies who have travelled huge distances to be present at this service. You honour our Anzac heritage and your presence bears testament to what Gallipoli means to our two nations.

Because as Australian and New Zealand troops clung desperately to this small peninsula far from home, a deep, enduring friendship was forged, between our countries.

There is no closer relationship between two nations than that between New Zealand and Australia. The shared experience of Gallipoli will forever be its cornerstone.

In the aftermath of the Gallipoli, another close friendship – this time between former foes – also emerged.

What began as a profound respect between enemies on the battlefield, evolved into a close, warm relationship between New Zealand and Turkey.

It was the immortal words of forgiveness and reconciliation spoken by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk that remain at the heart of the strong bond that exists between our countries today.

I would like to extend our very sincere thanks to our Turkish hosts on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand for their gracious hospitality over many, many years.

The Turkish people suffered terrible casualties defending their homeland. Over 87,000 sons of Turkey are known to have fallen here.

And yet we are welcomed back here every year, with friendship and warmth, to pay our respects to the fallen.

Thank you for making these commemorations possible, and for preserving these sites, which are sacred to us all.

Today we also remember those servicemen and women who have given their lives for our countries in other conflicts far from home, including, most recently, Afghanistan.

We pay tribute to the service personnel around the world who continue to serve us proudly, and their families, who also bear the cost of their commitment. The men and women of the New Zealand Defence Force are worthy inheritors of the Anzac tradition.

On the Gallipoli peninsula, ordinary Kiwis were called upon to make an extraordinary contribution at a time of ultimate trial. We honour their sacrifice by being ever mindful that conflict must be the last resort, not the first; that freedoms are hard won; and that generations of Anzacs have spilt blood so that we might live in peace and prosperity today.

Lest we forget.

Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Flag Lowering Speech

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:42:00 +1300

E ngā Mana, E Ngā Iwi, E Ngā Reo Tēnā Koutou Tēnā Koutou, Tēnā Koutou Katoa

Your Excellency, the Governor General of New Zealand Sir Jerry Mateparae, and Lady Janine; Dr Habiba Sarabi, Governor of Bamyan; Lt General Rhys Jones, Chief of Defence Force; Helene Quilter, Secretary of Defence; Peter Marshall, Commissioner of Police, Friends of New Zealand and Afghanistan.

I want to acknowledge the service men and women of the NZDF who are here today as well as the thousands who have served here before you.

I feel greatly honoured to be here in Bamyan to witness the flag over Kiwi Base being lowered for the final time. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here in Bamyan for a decade, and it’s been a period of massive change for the province. The progress that has been made reflects a joint effort between a whole range of New Zealand and Afghan government agencies, and is mirrored in the enduring friendship between the peoples of Bamyan and New Zealand.

New Zealand has always expressed a strong commitment to collective security. Back in 2001 the New Zealand Government was keenly aware of the importance of international efforts to counter the threat of Al Qaeda and consequently we deployed our people to Afghanistan in the early stages of the campaign to help root out that movement. We’ve always understood that distance is no immunity from the reach of international terror and the New Zealand lives lost in the 9/11 attacks in New York, the Bali bombing, the London Tube bombings, and the Jakarta Hotel attack bear testament to that.

Our subsequent contribution to stabilising Afghanistan and helping rebuild a country devastated by Taliban rule, has been a major commitment for New Zealand. It’s seen around 3500 New Zealand defence personnel posted to Bamyan in 21 Crib rotations, four separate deployments of 1NZSAS regiment, contributions in ISAF headquarters, the UN mission, and at Bagram airbase. Hundreds of New Zealand Police and Civil Servants have also been posted here.

Our people have provided security, mentoring and training across a whole range of military, policing, governance, development and aid activities. The achievements are very real and ones of which the whole of New Zealand can be justifiably proud.

New Zealanders arrived in Bamyan in 2003 to a province that had been shattered. Hospitals and schools had been destroyed, women and girls had suffered appalling treatment under the Taliban, and families had fled to the relative safety of the hills.

Now we can look around and see the impact our team has made in this region. Bamyan’s hospital has been rebuilt and new health centres have opened in all seven districts. Mortality rates for children under five have halved, and maternal deaths are a quarter of Taliban-era levels.

New Zealand’s presence has facilitated the construction of roads that have dramatically improved access across the province to markets, schools, and health facilities. In the early days of our time here the NZDF literally built bridges that connect communities and helped the economy start to get back on its feet.

When I talk to people back home the thing that gives the average New Zealander the greatest pride in our involvement here is the massive improvements that have been made in the lives of women and children.

In the time of the Taliban, no girls received any education in Bamyan. Now almost half the children in Bamyan primary schools are girls, thirty-eight percent of teachers are female, and there are 2700 students at Bamyan University, 15% of whom are female. New schools have opened and classrooms have been built around the province. New programmes ensure text books are provided and support the training of teachers. New Zealand has built a new teachers training college residence here in the new town that supports the training of tomorrow’s teachers.

New Zealand’s expertise has improved agriculture in the province. We have supported the training of basic veterinary skills, introduced high performing crops, and modernised farming techniques. New Zealand tractors have replaced the ox-drawn plough for many farmers. We’ve introduced water management and flood protection measures, and in partnership with local communities we’ve helped construct wells across the region and provided access to clean water.

New Zealand is building the largest solar energy system in Afghanistan, right here in Bamyan town. When completed approximately 2,500 houses, businesses, and government offices in Bamyan town will have access to a reliable source of electricity. This will be a model of sustainable energy use in Afghanistan.

Largely as a result of the PRT’s security efforts, over $2 million has been invested in local hotel infrastructure in Bamyan. The seeds of a nascent tourism industry have been sown.

Yet we’re acutely aware that these gains have come at a huge cost. New Zealand mourned the deaths of ten of our service men and women, sacrifices that we felt deeply across our nation. Other service people have been wounded in Afghanistan, and their lives have been fundamentally altered as a result.

Today we remember the sacrifices of Lieutenant Tim O’Donnell, Private Kirifi Mila, Corporal Doug Grant, Corporal Leon Smith, Corporal Douglas Hughes, Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer, Lance Corporal Rory Malone, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, Private Richard Harris, and Corporal Luke Tamatea. These were brave and honourable people, committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan, and their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

We acknowledge the losses of the people of Afghanistan , especially the deaths of Afghan National Security Force personnel here in Bamyan. I want to pay special tribute to Governor Sarabi for her inspirational leadership in the province; Bamyan has been very lucky to have you at the helm. I also pay tribute to our partners from other nations who have joined us in the work of the PRT, especially the Malaysian contingent, but there have been many others who the Kiwis have worked with along the way.

Lastly I want to thank and acknowledge the locally engaged staff- the interpreters, the mechanics, the cooks and the cleaners. We could not have carried out our work here without you and I’ve personally made it my duty to ensure that your future is secure after the Kiwis have gone home. We also couldn’t have achieved what we have in Bamyan without the support of the local people, and we acknowledge their role in the province’s recovery.

Our purpose in Afghanistan has always been to support the Afghan people to build capacity in security, governance, health, education, and economic infrastructure to help this country stand on its own two feet. Ultimately the will of the Afghan people will determine the future peace and prosperity of this country.

As we lower the flag today we are proud of what we have delivered in Bamyan. Our imprint on this province will endure, and the sacrifices that have made be will be remembered. We leave this province in relative stability and prosperity, ready for the next chapter in its history to be written by the people of Bamyan.

We return home, proud of what we have achieved and conscious of the legacy we leave behind.

Thank you.

Bamyan Memorial Speech

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:41:00 +1300

Your Excellency the Governor General of New Zealand and Lady Janine Mataparae, Governor Sarabi, Lt General Rhys Jones, Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Helene Quilter, and Police Commissioner Peter Marshall.

To all those friends of New Zealand and Bamyan Province who gather here, today we pay tribute to the eight New Zealanders and 23 Afghans who have given their lives in the service of Bamyan Province, and whose names are commemorated on this joint memorial.

As the flag is lowered for the last time at Kiwi Base it is fitting that New Zealand remembers the sons and daughter who gave their lives in the service of others. I know it’s very important to all New Zealanders who served in Bamyan in whatever capacity that the sacrifices made here are never forgotten. I also know that the people of New Zealand hold the fallen close in their national memory.

It’s also appropriate that the names of New Zealand’s dead are commemorated alongside the 23 members of the Afghan National Security Forces who spilt their blood over the past decade here in Bamyan.

Our two peoples have worked side by side in Bamyan for ten years and have built a history of shared sacrifice that now link our two very different lands and cultures.

When the PRT consulted with local leaders here in Bamyan about this memorial all parties were unanimous in wanting a combined memorial. That is a reflection of the relationship and I want to thank Governor Sarabi on behalf of the people of New Zealand for the warmth that has been extended to our people here over the past decade.

Our shared history is also reflected in the effort that went into this memorial, with joint planning, construction and engraving carried out by Kiwis and Afghans working side by side. It is right that it is located here in the Provincial Operational Co-ordination Centre and it should serve as an ever present inspiration for those entrusted with the security of the Bamyan people.

Alongside their Afghan colleagues, today we remember the eight brave New Zealand soldiers who died in Bamyan Province – Lt Tim O’Donnell, Private Kirifi Mila, Corporal Douglas Hughes, Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer, Lance Corporal Rory Malone, Corporal Luke Tamatea, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, and Private Richard Harris.

We also remember Corporal Doug Grant, and Lance Corporal Leon Smith whose sacrifice is commemorated on the ISAF memorial in Kabul.

Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of our fallen soldiers and their Afghan colleagues, as they continue to mourn their loved ones.

When I last visited Bamyan in October, I personally expressed the Government’s condolences following the tragic losses in August and thanked the last rotation for their on-going professionalism and commitment. The decision to deploy the New Zealand Defence Force is never made lightly. The New Zealand Government and the people of New Zealand highly value the work that the men and women of the NZDF carry out on behalf of the nation. It is work that entails very real risks on a daily basis, and this memorial is testament to that.

The security that the PRT has provided in the last decade has been fundamental to enabling development to flourish in Bamyan Province. The backbone to the New Zealand PRT has been the thousands of young men and women from the New Zealand Defence Force who have selflessly served their country, dedicated to making a difference and improving the lives of the Afghan people.

Over 3,500 New Zealand Defence Force personnel have been deployed to Afghanistan, with the majority serving here in Bamyan with the PRT. They have worked alongside colleagues from the New Zealand Police and Civil Service to help Bamyan and Afghanistan get back on its feet.

Ten years on, New Zealand’s legacy can be clearly seen. More children are attending school and going on to university, there are improved healthcare facilities and access to health services, wells and village water supplies are hooked up, there are more sealed roads and bridges connecting villages, and agricultural prosperity and agricultural development is taking place. This has all been achieved thanks to the security that the PRT has provided.

New Zealand may be a small country but our contribution in Afghanistan is recognised internationally. New Zealanders should be very proud of the work we have achieved here. It is the right time for the PRT to return home as the Afghan National Security Forces and the Provincial government in Bamyan get on with the job by themselves.

As Bamyan looks to the future and continues the progress made, New Zealand will watch from afar. The province is a better place for our efforts here, but we will always remember the sacrifices of the 23 Afghans and 8 New Zealanders commemorated here on this memorial.

To borrow from Rupert Brooke – there is some corner of a foreign field that is forever New Zealand.

Lest we forget.

General Debate - 27th March, 2013 - Part 4 .

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:36:00 +1300

Speech to Defence Industry Association conference

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:23:00 +1300

It’s a pleasure to be addressing the New Zealand Defence Industry Association again.

I want to focus my remarks today on a subject close to your interests: how to deliver results while managing the rising costs of doing business.

It is a topic close to the heart of our Defence Force as it juggles significant reform, making savings efficiencies, maintaining capability, while also dealing with the rising cost of defence.

With many of you being representatives of private sector businesses you will be acutely aware of the challenges of growing a business and building exports.

Building a competitive and productive economy is one of the key priorities for the government.

We have developed a Business Growth Agenda and a series of work streams for Ministers to help drive this along. The six areas we are aiming our focus on are infrastructure, natural resources, capital markets, skilled and safe workplaces, innovation, and a drive to expand exports.

My underlying point here is status quo or static approaches don’t serve us well, but an appetite for innovation and reform does.

The same disciplines need to be applied to the public sector as you have been forced to apply to your own businesses

Just last month I was in London, at a round table discussion comparing notes with commentators on defence reform. My comments were entitled: New Zealand Defence Force Capability in an Era of Tightening Budgets.

I noted that the New Zealand Defence Force has been directed to make savings which are being redirected inside the defence budget to ensure the organisation can deliver on its front-end requirements, including capability.

What was reinforced to me on my trip is that the issues confronting governments around defence affordability are the same across the western world.

Basically defence reform is a direct response to the global financial crisis.

The approach of redirecting resources from the back of a defence organisation to the frontline is also universal.

In our case, the NZDF is achieving its financial targets. For this current financial year $168 million in savings has been achieved so far, and its forecast $190 million in savings will be delivered by June 2013.

And it’s been tough. Each dollar saved doesn’t come easily, and the more you save the harder it gets to make those savings.

I want to congratulate the NZDF’s military and civilian leaders for this achievement, and I especially want to thank the soldiers, sailors, and air personnel for their support during a time of great change.

In my other role as Minister of State Services, I have oversight of the wider programme of state sector reform that is raising expectations of the public service while pressing for greater efficiency.

I am proud that the NZDF is leading the way – continuing to deliver its mandated services, while containing costs.

I’d note that there has been a fundamental difference between the NZDF change programme compared with other nations.

While some other nations have made well documented cuts to their military units or equipment, we in New Zealand have been careful to guard against making specific capability haircuts. We are simply too small for such a blunt approach.

And in fact, we have been busy implementing the Defence Capability Plan and have made excellent progress.

Last December I announced the release of tenders to upgrade the self-defence and sensor capabilities of the Royal New Zealand Navy frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana. This will address issues of obsolescence with the ships’ technology and ensure the vessels are a credible capability which can operate in the South Pacific and wider Asia Pacific region.
The Government is also looking seriously at the option of acquiring the ex-Australian Navy Seasprite helicopters to operate from the frigates, and our patrol fleet.
In December, I also announced the release of tenders for a new military pilot training capability. This project will lead to the introduction of dedicated advanced pilot training aircraft.
A wide-ranging programme is gradually replacing the NZDF’s land transport fleets. The immediate priority is to acquire new medium and heavy operational vehicles. That work is well-underway.
A number of long-running projects are also in their delivery phase: upgrades of our C130 Hercules and P3 Orion aircraft, and delivery of A109 training/light utility helicopters, and NH90 medium utility helicopters.
Looking further out, we intend to network-enable our land forces; strengthen our command and control systems; improve our intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities; and acquire much-increased satellite network bandwidth for global communications.
Approval has been given for the design and developments of a Special Forces battle training facility.

The delivery of these projects will provide New Zealand with defence capabilities which are able to respond flexibly to varied and complex tasks both at home and offshore.

But that’s not to say we don’t have some serious thinking to do.

To use the military metaphor, we need to have the “over the horizon radar” operating.

Let’s start by taking a step back.

One of our priorities upon forming a government in 2008 was to commission a Defence White Paper.

Over a decade had elapsed since the last formal White Paper, so at the time a fresh look at strategic context, policy settings, and capability requirements was long overdue.

Completed in 2010, the White Paper identified the suite of military capabilities New Zealand would require, taking into account the growing uncertainty of our strategic environment.

As the White Paper indicated, to operate the NZDF and to replace equipment, especially major naval and air platforms, would require additional capital and operating spending in the long run. And there’s no strategy without dollars.

We are at a mid-point between the last White Paper and the next White Paper due to take place in 2015.

So now is an appropriate time to assess how we’re travelling and to have officials start some groundwork for what ultimately will be a future White Paper.

The officials have been tasked to start a piece of work called the DMRR, or Defence Mid-point Rebalancing Review, which undertakes analysis about long term Defence funding and capability.

This is set in the context that New Zealand’s spending on defence as a percentage of GDP has been steadily declining since the 1990’s when it was at 2 per cent of GDP to where it currently is hovering at about 1 per cent of GDP.

What understandably worries Defence planners is the current forecast for the defence budget for the next decade is a horizontal flat line. They are required to assume a fixed defence appropriation.

And that presents some obvious challenges.

On a fixed appropriation, the defence budget would eventually go into an operating deficit .

In reality I don’t think a flat line defence budget for the next ten years is a realistic option.

Whilst the savings and reforms have been excellent, you also need to guard against a rubicon moment where the money becomes so tight our defence strategy and capability are compromised.

So it is sensible for the DMRR process to be undertaken.

Cabinet has directed officials to analyse different levels of funding tracks for the future, and assess what level of military capability and equipment you get with each funding track.

It’s important to get the balance right.

I am at pains to say the DMRR is analytical work.

We will consider the results with an open mind. It is groundwork so that we’re well prepared for the next Defence White Paper anticipated in 2015.

The DMRR is likely to be reported back to the government later this year.

The over-riding objective is to ensure we have a capable, sustainable, deployable, and affordable defence force.

Can I just finally conclude by noting this is a significant period for the NZDF and its operational deployments.

You will be no doubt aware the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan will be returning to New Zealand soon.

The work they have undertaken in Afghanistan has been excellent and made a tangible difference to the Bamyan people.

And the sacrifice by the servicemen of the New Zealand Defence Force has been deeply felt. In total we have lost 10 of our people during service in Afghanistan.

But the service they have provided has been widely recognised.

In meetings and events with other Defence Ministers and military leaders from around the globe they all praise and recognise the quality and service of the NZDF.

That is for good reason. It is well worth remembering.

I expect many of you will have ideas of your own to share, so I look forward to hearing from you.

Auckland-Northland Employer of Reservist of the Year Award

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:20:00 +1300

Good evening,

Thank you to the co-hosts of this event: Dr Geoff Perry, Dean of the Business and Law Faculty School and David McGregor of the Auckland and Northland Territorial Forces Employer Council.

Also welcome to Brigadier Sean Trengrove the director of the NZDF Reserve Forces and other present and past members of the NZDF.

And I also especially wish to welcome to the employers who have Defence Force reservists on their staff, and also all of those from AUT.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here this evening.

Many of you may know that my predecessor as Minister of Defence, Dr Wayne Mapp, was a reservist.

And indeed he served with the Auckland-Northland battalion with some of you in this room tonight.

I haven’t been a reservist but I am confident enough to recognise the valuable contribution made by NZDF reservists.

Our reserve forces have recently been experiencing change, particularly in the Army.

Just recently the Army’s six Territorial Force (TF) RNZIR battalions were amalgamated to form three new battalions, a move that will deliver a more operationally focused and sustainable reserve capability for the Army.

One objective is to ensure the Army Reserve personnel can easily and quickly be integrated into a fulltime unit if that unit requires supplementation for an exercise or deployment and just as easily, and quickly, returned to the Army Reserve as and when required.

This will boost reservist skill levels and raise the profile, utility and range of civilian skills within the wider NZDF.

This increased awareness should also ensure that if personnel leave the RF, the TF will be something they actively consider transferring to as an extension of the world they already know and operate in.

There will be 1200 who train regularly on the Ready Reserve List and a further 600 on the Stand-By list.

A recent example of the value of reservists and the quick switch from civilian to military duties is the ongoing support being provided following the Canterbury earthquake. A group of reservists are still continuing to provide security cordon duties to this day.

And there have been many other examples over recent years. A notable example was in East Timor when New Zealand deployed a battalion in Suai, along the border region.

Sustaining a battalion presence for several years represented some heavy lifting. It was a significant achievement for a Defence Force of our size. And reservists played an important part in providing personnel to support that operation.

After the battalion’s withdrawal, the on-going smaller presence in Dili also operated with reservist numbers. While reservists have also been part of our assistance mission in the Solomon Islands, which was recently completed.

Other operations such as military observer roles in the Middle East have been filled occasionally by NZDF reservists.

As well, reservists play a useful role in both the volunteer Navy reserve and Air Force.

Being deployed on a mission doesn’t come easily for a reservist. It’s the result of plenty of training and dedicated service. They have to have completed the right courses and be qualified before they can be selected and sent on a mission.

The underlying message here is that reservists remain an important part of the NZDF fabric.

While the missions I have being referring to are either ending or are being scaled back, as is the case also with our presence in Afghanistan, it would be a mistake to assume there won’t be more work.

Looking to the future it’s difficult to predict what difficulties will occur. What is possible to say is there is very likely to be a demand for the skills needed for peacekeeping or humanitarian assistance missions.

New Zealand has a Defence Force that carries a very good international reputation with good operational experience, and I think it’s likely those skills will be called upon.

And like past operations it is likely reservists will be in the manpower mix.

To those of you here tonight who are employers, with reservists on your staff, I would like to thank you as the Minister of Defence and on behalf of the Defence Force.

Reservists try to balance their job, their family life, their sporting interests, and having the time to cope with military training and exercises.

Sometimes they simply don’t get to sleep during the weekend when they undergo their training.

Having an employer who is supportive is immensely valuable, to not only the reservist but also the Defence Force.

I would both expect and hope this is not a one way street, and that the employer gains value from an employee who is a reservist.

The NZDF believes the training they provide to a reservist develops a transferable skill which is a return for the employer.

You can view your employee not so much as a good individual absent from work but an employee on leadership and development training that makes them a better employee for the experience.

That transferable skill can be assessed or identified in a number of ways.

Defence Force basic training promotes teamwork, punctuality, the ability to follow commands and instructions, physical fitness and the ability to push themselves at times beyond what they believe to be their physical limits.
One of the core skills learned is teamwork. Recruits are formed together in sections and must work as a team to achieve the objectives required of them. This forces recruits to very quickly work together and leverage strengths regardless of background, skills or prior experience.
One of the by-products of this approach is the learned ability to interact with people from all backgrounds and all parts of society. This is primarily forced but the need for teamwork quickly overcomes any differences or difficulties individuals may have.
These skills, acquired by virtue of completing basic training are common to all NZDF people – Reserve Force or Regular. The difference with reserves is that they then bring these skills and values back to their civilian workplace or employment.
Trade training for Reserves provides them with the specific skills required to perform their NZDF roles, but a number of these skills like drivers licenses and medical training can be, and are, valuable skills which can be used for the benefit of their civilian employers.

They are traits which are useful in any employee. And as employers the fact that you are present here tonight is a sign that you both recognise and capture these advantages.

A common theme about what the Defence Force training can offer is leadership.

And while a reservist can span both the civilian and military worlds, it’s not so easy to achieve for a full time member of the NZDF.

As a Defence Minister I am always keen to encourage ways our regular force leaders can engage with the business community and other government entities.

It is an excellent way to help groom and develop our future defence leadership, and I know the NZDF is exploring avenues on ways to allow defence people to on occasion be “deployed” into the business community.

Having a defence leader shadow a business leader like AUT’s Shadow a Leader programme has merit in my opinion.

For those of you in the business community, if you see such an opportunity come along I would encourage you to take it up.

As a final note, tonight is about presenting awards to employers who have been excellent in supporting reservists.

To those employers who are finalists in tonight’s awards I wish to congratulate you all for your achievement.

This is recognition you all deserve. Well done.

Kiwis in Afghanistan to protect gains

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:25:00 +1300

OPINION: Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman explains why New Zealand is not leaving Afghanistan.

New Zealand has played an important role in the international effort in Afghanistan for well over a decade.

In the early days of the campaign we helped root out al Qaeda, then in 2003 deployed a Provincial Reconstruction Team to Bamyan to stabilise and aid in the recovery of a province that had suffered under Taliban rule.

Later, the SAS was redeployed to Kabul to help the Afghan Crisis Response Unit build its capacity as one of Afghanistan's premier counter-terrorism units.

It has been service that has come at the cost of 10 New Zealand lives, sacrifices that have been felt deeply across the nation. Other New Zealanders have been wounded in Afghanistan and have had their futures inextricably altered as a result.

Over the same period, New Zealand citizens have died in some of the world's most high profile terrorist actions since 9/11 – the Bali bombing, the London Tube bombing and the Jakarta Hotel bombing.

That is why New Zealand has continued to support the international effort in Afghanistan so that it cannot again become a haven for al Qaeda and an incubator for international terrorism. Not only is it important to secure the gains of the past decade, but it is also in New Zealand's own interest to be part of the collective security effort to safeguard the future stability of that country.

Cynics point to the historical record, tell you that no nation has ever won in Afghanistan and complain that New Zealand is expending effort in a country where corruption is rife.

While it is true that it is unwise to ignore the lessons of history, the fact is that because of New Zealand's efforts, massive gains have been made for the people of Bamyan province, especially women and children. Before we arrived education and health services in the province were rudimentary, and women and girls were treated appallingly under the Taliban. New Zealand's efforts have seen reconstruction of the hospital and the building of educational facilities.

In 2001 there were fewer than 15 schools open – there are now 353. Almost half primary school children in Bamyan are girls, while 38 per cent of teachers are female and many Bamyan teachers have been aided by New Zealand-supported teachers' training programmes. There are now 2700 students at Bamyan University, 15 per cent of whom are women.

Our support to the health sector has helped significantly reduce both the maternal mortality rate and the mortality rate for children under 5. In the Taliban era there were only two doctors working in the province. Now health care facilities are available across the province, and health professionals include 40 doctors and 150 midwives.

We have also contributed Kiwi money and expertise to major agricultural projects and a solar power project that will provide access to electricity to approximately 2500 homes, businesses and government buildings in Bamyan town. It will be the largest solar-energy system built in Afghanistan and will make a significant contribution to living standards and economic development.

Ad Feedback As to the question of whether the gains in Afghanistan are sustainable, and whether the coalition can " win there, the point is that unlike the armies of history, the ISAF coalition does not want to remain in Afghanistan in the long term. For much of the past 10 years, therefore, ISAF's effort has been largely directed at building Afghan capacity in security and governance so that ultimately the country can stand safe, secure and stable on its own. There is no doubt though that the international community can do so much, but ultimately the will of the Afghan people will determine whether their nation prospers.

If Afghanistan is to continue along the trajectory towards a relatively secure future, it will require on-going international support. This year the wider coalition effort is moving from leading the military mission to supporting and mentoring the Afghan forces so they can manage their own security. That is why New Zealand has announced that following the withdrawal of our Provincial Reconstruction Team in April, New Zealand will continue to make a small but significant contribution to the international security effort in Afghanistan.

Our 27 people will be in headquarters, intelligence, planning and training roles. None will be in front-line combat roles, but they will all be making a valuable niche contribution to a collective effort. Likewise, New Zealand-funded development programmes in Bamyan in renewable energy, agriculture, education and health will continue beyond the PRT.

New Zealanders should be proud of the efforts of our service people over the past 10 years in helping secure and rebuild Afghanistan. It is important now that we help see the job through.

Taking a Results Approach to Delivering Better Public Services

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:14:00 +1300

Good evening, welcome to New Zealand House – it’s a pleasure to be here with you in London.

New Zealand has embarked on a significant change programme for our State sector. It involves every agency, ministry and department. Some of you will have heard my colleague the Deputy Prime Minister Bill English speak on it when he visited London in 2012.

We have the challenge of maintaining and improving services at a time of fiscal consolidation and on-going restraint.

Post the Global Financial Crises, our government expects moderate economic growth, but household debt remains high. We need to return to surplus to ensure our government debt stays low.

The New Zealand State Services represents one-quarter of our country’s real economy, so finding savings and efficiencies is important for returning to surplus.

Part of that equation is rebalancing the core public service from back room employees to front line employees.

Under the previous Labour government, numbers exploded from 35,645 in 2004, to 45,297 in 2008. Clearly that was unsustainable; a 27 per cent increase in just four years.

In 2008 our Government introduced a cap on core public service numbers of 38,859 positions. We excluded certain frontline services - Community Probation and Psychological Services, Prison Services, Child Youth and Family, and Work and Income.

As you can see in the graph, those numbers are now reducing, and we have been able to reduce the cap further, which now stands at 36,475 positions.

Another part of the equation is the challenge of delivering better value for money, and the Better Public Services Programme is our response to that challenge.

But Better Public Services is also an opportunity to be more relevant to the modern public’s needs.

At the heart of the Better Public Services programme is a focus on measurable results that matter in day-to-day life for New Zealanders.

Ministers are demanding that departments perform to hit targets in several key areas:

Reducing Long-term welfare dependence
Boosting skills & employment
Reducing crime
Improving interaction with government for the public & business; and
Supporting vulnerable children

These results were selected to focus and challenge our public servants. We knew these targets would be tough because they are complex and long-term problems that cut across Ministerial portfolios and agency boundaries.

We also knew they would require a more modern leadership culture in our public service, and we’ve been creating the tools to support that culture change, including through legislative change.

First, we created the Head of the State Services, or HoSS as it’s now called around Wellington. We are expanding the State Service Commissioner’s functions into this new HoSS role, giving him in effect a responsibility and a mandate across the state services to ensure our public services have the right leadership and talent development in place to deliver success.

Who are these leaders? Primarily, our chief executives.

I’d like to reflect on something New Zealand ministers have traditionally – or at least historically – veered away from commenting on: the symbiotic relationship between a responsible minister and their chief executive in getting a department to deliver results.

Despite being in the traditional Westminster mould, when it comes to leadership in the public sector, New Zealand has carved its own path; some would say a world-leading path.

Our chief executives are roughly equivalent to your permanent secretaries, but there are some important differences.

The main difference is that the New Zealand State Services Commissioner, who has the independent statutory responsibility for hiring and managing chief executives, appoints chief executives for fixed terms only – usually of about four to five years.

Come the fifth year, you are reappointed, or you are not. It’s a strong incentive for a chief executive to perform.

What does it mean for a New Zealand chief executive to perform, though?

I’m not talking about making sure all their process boxes are checked.

I’m talking about leading their departments to achieve tangible results.

It’s not enough to simply keep a department ticking along.

Ministers set the direction, and chief executives then put our priorities into action. So the relationship between ministers and chief executives is crucial for getting Better Public Services to work.

Ministers do have several levers when engaging with their chief executives:

Ministers issue an annual Letter of Expectations to the department, setting out priorities for the upcoming year.

The department’s Statement of Intent, or SOI will then outline how it intends to work towards those priorities, within the budget set by Ministers.

SOIs contain a baseline of forecast performance information against which Ministers, Members of Parliament and the public can assess the department’s actual performance in contributing to outcomes.

At the beginning of each performance year, Ministers are consulted on chief executive performance expectations. And then at the end of year, we also of course give feedback to their employer, the State Services Commissioner, on how they performed.

Before a chief executive even starts in the role, Ministers are also involved at two distinct stages in the appointment process.

I know there is an on-going internal debate in the United Kingdom around the appointment of permanent secretaries, and what the role of ministers is in that process.

We have a halfway house in the New Zealand system. Ministers confer with the State Services Commissioner about what qualities and skills the next chief executive will need to have to succeed in that job.

The Commissioner then recruits the person he or she believes has those qualities and skills, and is capable of delivering results.

New Zealand is celebrating 100 years of a professional, neutral public service. We consistently top the International Transparency rankings. Kiwis are pretty proud about the lack of corruption in our system, and we are keen to preserve this.

An independent appointment system fits with what we believe a professional, neutral public service to be in the New Zealand context. We don’t argue that it is flawless - and our system has continuously evolved to improve on itself - but it is working for where we are now.

Once a chief executive is in place, what then for a minister?

We are not involved in the day to day running of a department. That is a matter for the chief executive.

Again, here is a difference between the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

In the United Kingdom, your Cabinet members are physically located in their respective departments.

In New Zealand, Ministers are co-located with each other within our Parliament buildings; primarily the Beehive.

We would rarely physically visit our departments, and officials come to the Beehive to brief us. There is not just a theoretical separation of the Minister from his or her department’s operations, there is a physical separation.

But not being involved in operations doesn’t mean we don’t see a department’s organisational health.

When Iain Rennie became the State Services Commissioner, he was concerned that the public service was not perceived as taking ownership of its own performance improvement across departments.

While there were plenty of reports from external agencies and lobby groups – and these were often critical of the public service - these reports did not recognise the strengths of the public service.

The Commissioner also wanted to move the culture of the public service towards continuous improvement and innovation.

Performance Improvement Framework reports, or “PIF” reports, give ministers - and the general public - a snapshot of whether a chief executive is creating an organisation that is fit for purpose today and for the future.

We are seeing some interesting trends across PIF reports.

By and large, when a discrete event happens – such as the Christchurch earthquake – the public service really gears up and delivers some impressive results.

However, the public service hasn’t been as good at transacting business as usual. These PIF reports are helping departments to continuously improve at delivering on their core bread and butter business.

PIF reports also give Ministers independent assurance on their departments’ organisational health, as these reviews are undertaken by external experts; not by another public service department.

We can also tell how the public thinks departments are performing through Kiwis Count.

The State Services Commission’s Kiwis Count survey is a continuous polling programme. New Zealanders are asked about their recent experiences when using front line public services, such as hospitals, police, customs, and paying taxes. The Commission then reports to Ministers on a quarterly basis, using the last six months of data.

The survey also asks Kiwis what factors are most important to them when using a government service. The factor with the largest rating increase since the first Kiwis Count survey was ‘It’s an example of good value for tax dollars spent’.

I am proud to report that over the first two quarters since this survey became continuously running, we have seen performance lift from an overall score of 69 to 72 in the first quarter, and then in the second quarter from 72 to 74 out of 100.

Our government is creating further levers to ensure chief executives are working together towards the cross-portfolio outcomes we need.

Importantly, we created functional leads. This is a new way of organising our public services, so that a particular agency has the mandate and expertise to create efficiencies across specific parts of departmental operations. Our government has mandated functional leads in three areas: procurement, IT, and property management.

As one example of what functional leadership can achieve:

In November last year, I announced a 30 per cent reduction of the Wellington office footprint of five large Government departments.

The functional lead for property – our Property Management Centre of Expertise – did this by taking a system wide approach. It identified opportunities for leasing decisions across several departments to be taken together to achieve an economy of scale, and then applied their specialist expertise to manage the process.

It also identified space already being leased by one department that was surplus to needs and could be repurposed to meet another agency’s needs. Finally, it created efficiencies by co-locating agencies working in the same sector to the same accommodations.

The reduction in space reduction will save $338 million over 20 years, or about 181 million pounds sterling.

This may not sound impressive in the UK context, but it was a 20 per cent reduction in cost compared with the status quo. Imagine a 20 per cent reduction in London office costs, and you start to see the potential our functional leadership programme has for saving the taxpayer money.

Functional leadership is a step away from individual chief executive accountability for their department’s operations. We simply can’t achieve economies of scale if departments are not required to sign on and participate in functional leadership programmes. For Better Public Services to succeed, chief executives need to have regard to not only what their own department’s priorities are, but what the sector priorities are.

The State Sector and Public Finance Reform Bill is an omnibus bill that strengthens tools for managing the State sector and public finances in New Zealand.

It also requires chief executives to consider the collective interests of government, and make their stewardship role more explicitly focus on the Crown’s medium and long-term interests. Or put more simply, under the proposed changes, chief executives must by law work towards sector goals, not just their own department’s goals.

We have been very clear that we want cross-House support for these changes. Re-shaping our public service is not done lightly. Of course, there are no easy rides in politics, and I expect these proposals will be hotly debated.

It is a field that is dry and academic to many, but in practice it can have wide-reaching impacts for how our public service operates. It’s a field that can also trip up the newer players in our House of Representatives.

During the first reading of the Bill in September, one member of the House claimed the new legislation was trying to give the Prime Minister a power that would effectively make him a dictator over the public service.

In making this claim, that member overlooked that the provision had already been on our books in law for 24 years!

Where do the central agencies fit in all this?

New Zealand’s central agencies include the State Services Commission, the Treasury, and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Together, they make up our corporate centre, and in theory are both the support base and driving force behind other agencies as they pursue our result targets. So, Ministers expect the corporate centre to step up and make progress happen faster, leading by example.

What we have found though is that there are still improvements that need to be made back in the corporate centre, before the rest of the picture can reach its potential.
Ernst & Young recently produced at the Commissioner’s request an Independent Quality Assessment of the Better Public Services programme. It certainly wasn’t sugar coated. It said:

“The programme has yet to develop critical elements that are fundamental and necessary to achieve its aims.”

“From our interviews it was not evident that leadership, ownership and prioritisation are at the levels required for better public services to be achieved against its stated culture change ambition.”

“Central agencies are seen, from the outside and by themselves, as not always presenting a united front.”

“The array of messages and demands sends a confusing message to departments on what needs to be produced for delivering results.”

Our corporate centre is working to address those criticisms about leadership, ownership and prioritisation in the report, including by developing a joint Performance Hub for providing performance advice on agencies across the Public sector.

We’re also learning from the United Kingdom experience in your public sector reforms. We all face these common challenges of the global recession, and a limited public purse.

The Right Honourable Francis Maude and Sir Bob Kerslake’s visionary Civil Service Reform Plan in 2012, to deliver a modernised civil service capable of supporting a prosperous United Kingdom, contains many elements attractive to governments committed to delivering taxpayers the efficiencies from public services they should expect as of right.

Indeed it is with a degree of envy that outsiders might witness the pace of change as the plan unfolds. I have watched the United Kingdom:

develop centralised approaches to procurement, property, ICT and major projects to drive efficiencies
drive spending cuts of 33-50% in admin budgets by 2014-2015
abolish 114 quangos with plans to close more
establish the first central government mutual, MyCSP, to administer civil service pensions
launch an all-of-government website to provide information and access to government services
establish eight major shared service centres for government departments
pioneer contestable policy making and applying insights from behavioural science to public policy

I won’t go on, but looking at the United Kingdom’s achievements in a short period of time bolsters my confidence that the New Zealand public service can and will also deliver impressive results.

And speaking of results, let’s look at where the rubber meets the road: Is our BPS reform programme actually making a difference?

This month we reached our first litmus test of progress in the ten Better Public Services result areas. Later this year we will release a snapshot on progress.

Let’s start with our fifth target: that 85% of 18 year olds will have achieved NCEA level 2 or an equivalent qualification in 2017.

(NCEA Level 2 is equivalent to one step down from your “A” levels).

The Ministry of Education has begun working with schools and communities covering the bulk of students who are unlikely to achieve NCEA Level 2.

Initially 18 schools were supported to identify and assist 370 learners to achieve NCEA Level 2 in 2012. With a 50% success rate for these 370 learners, most of these schools will be on track to achieve 85% NCEA 2 in 2017.

So yes – we are already making a difference, and by trialling targeted assistance, we can see what does and doesn’t deliver results.

Part of our third goal is to increase infant immunisation rates. We want 95 per cent of eight-months-olds to be fully immunised by December 2014 and to maintain this through to June 2017.

Rates for Māori children and those who identify as living in poorer areas are a particular concern for us. When we came into Government in 2008, immunisation rates for Māori children lagged under the 50% mark.

Our first pulse-check is showing that we’re on track. For the three month period ending 30 September 2012, 87 per cent of eight month olds were fully immunised. This coverage rate already exceeds the Health Target goal of 85 percent coverage by July 2013.

The coverage rate for Maori was 78 percent and 81 percent for those living in deprivation deciles 9 and 10. This is a big increase, but there is still work to do.

Our seventh target is to reduce the crime rate by 15%, reduce the violent crime rate by 20%, and reduce the youth crime rate by 5% by June 2017.

As of now, all measures are on track to meet or exceed the targets. In the first period of the BPS programme, crime, violent crime and youth crime have dropped respectively by 6%, 7% and 4%. This is on top of a recorded crime rate that was at its lowest point in 30 years.

Our eight target – to reduce the re-imprisonment rate by 25% by 2017 – is also on track.

There has been a 7% reduction in the rate of re-convictions from the previous year. The re-imprisonment rate has only decreased slightly, which is expected due to the lag in rehabilitative interventions.

The Justice sector has prepared a joint 4 Year Plan, instead of separate plans as individual agencies. It aims to direct resources to where they will make the most difference. The Justice Sector Fund supports initiatives that will create further savings and test initiatives that will further support the BPS result targets.

Preventative policing, Courts and reducing reoffending operating models are being overhauled to be more offender, victim, and user-centred.

Summary

When our Government was elected to a second term in 2011, we were faced with a challenging picture; the Global Financial Crisis and the need to return to surplus.

We took that challenge – the need to save money – and turned it into an opportunity – showing the public that even with using less taxpayer money, we could deliver better services.

We put new tools in place to support agencies including through the legislative changes, created the Head of the State Services, and gave agencies functional lead mandates.

We’re already seeing the start of real results, but we want them faster, and we want them bigger. This is a challenge for both our Government, and for our public service leaders.

It is also a challenge for the UK Government, and our public sector leaders will no doubt continue to follow your progress with interest and learn from your successes.
Thank you.

New Zealand Defence force capability in an era of tightening budgets

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:07:00 +1300

Introduction

I wish to talk about how New Zealand is managing the effect on its defence force of the most challenging economic conditions seen in generations.

This is a challenge which politicians and policy makers, militaries, and industry are grappling with worldwide and of particular relevance to those of us here today.

The global financial crisis and subsequent fiscal and sovereign debt crises are having a profound and lasting effect on economies in the developed world.

These difficult economic times have hit defence budgets that were in many cases already straining from ambitious projects with mounting costs and delays.

In contrast to us, our closest partner Australia has reprioritised defence spending to help return public finances to surplus as quickly as possible.

Canberra has also commissioned a new White Paper for 2013 that will consider the implications of Australia’s strategic and fiscal environment.

In the United States, the US Department of Defense has absorbed a budget cut of several hundred billion over 10 years, and faces the real possibility of further large cuts if sequestration proceeds.

And I know that reductions in defence spending are very much a live issue here in the United Kingdom.

In New Zealand, we pay close attention to the UK scene.

We may be a small South Pacific nation, but the similarities between us – based in historical ties and enduring shared interests and values – mean that the experiences of one are often valid for the other.

Public sector reform

This is often true in public policy – where we face similar goals and challenges.

Both New Zealand and the UK aim to maintain first class public services against an immediate backdrop of economic uncertainty, and a longer collision with demographics.

We are also both engaged in major public service reforms. In each case we are seeking a focus on the results provided by the State Sector, while driving down cost.

New Zealand has sometimes been called the laboratory for public sector reform, since innovative policies can be tested here, before being applied elsewhere.

New Zealand was a leader in public sector reform in the 1980s, and we are aiming to be at the forefront of reform again.

Improving public sector outcomes is one of our top priorities.

The New Zealand Government has set 10 challenging results, in five broad areas, which we expect the public service to achieve over the next five years. Each result is linked to specific and measurable targets.

The results we have selected relate to longstanding social challenges such as:

long-term welfare dependence;
youth education; and
reducing crime.

To manage costs in the public sector, the Government has capped the size of the core civil service; and has fixed most departmental budgets in nominal terms.

We are also encouraging departments to share resources; and cooperate more closely.

New Zealand has one of the most fragmented public sectors in the OECD. As a result our equivalent of the Cabinet Office is being empowered to provide enhanced leadership and coordination.

Where it makes sense to do so, we’re merging departments. For instance our new Ministry of Building Innovation and Employment was partly based on the UK’s Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Defence is a key policy area where New Zealand pays particular attention to UK developments.

Historically our three services of the New Zealand Defence Force grew directly from their counterparts in the UK Armed Forces.

They remain a natural model for the NZDF in terms of doctrine, standards, procedures, and Service culture.

This close historical connection continues to be reflected in our contemporary engagement:

we maintain a steady and valuable strategic level dialogue at the Ministerial and senior official level;
we enjoy a range of personnel exchanges and training activities;
we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that is facilitating joint capability development (trucks, bridging equipment; and
when we operate together, our forces are natural partners. (Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan)

We also follow closely the UK’s experiences with defence reform, seeking to learn from your experiences with seeking efficiencies in the defence budget, and getting better results from defence procurement.

Let me turn to New Zealand’s recent experiences with defence planning and reform.

Defence White Paper

New Zealand was spared the worst effects of the global financial crisis by a solid government balance sheet and an absence of the dubious financial practices that gave rise to the crisis. Nevertheless, the New Zealand government has been compelled to run large operating deficits with a subsequent increase in government debt. The Christchurch earthquakes, beginning in 2011, exacerbated the worsening fiscal position.

Our 2009 defence review, the first in over a decade, was crafted in this context, during the lowest point of the recession.

The review followed a typical top down process. We considered our national security interests, and the contribution defence makes to these.

We reviewed our strategic environment, with an eye to 2035. We considered the tasks the New Zealand Defence Force might conduct over that period, and then selected appropriate capabilities.

The review confirmed New Zealand’s long-standing security interests:

a safe and secure New Zealand, including its border and approaches;
a rules-based international order which respects national sovereignty;
a network of strong international linkages; and
a sound global economy underpinned by open trade routes.

The review also confirmed the value of maintaining a suite of modern defence capabilities, interoperable with our friends and partners, available to deploy into the South Pacific and beyond, in support of our interests.

The South Pacific features prominently in our policy. This is our region of immediate security interest, where we have a responsibility to respond to any major natural disaster or security event.

It is also an area comprising a number of fragile states that have needed external assistance, and will likely continue to need assistance.

What kind of a defence force do we need to support these interests? The White Paper concluded that we need:

land forces sufficient to deploy a mobile Combined Arms Task Group of 800 personnel for up to three years, or a number of smaller operations;
the air and sea capabilities to transport and sustain them; and
the capabilities to monitor and respond to contingencies in our maritime environment and elsewhere.

These capabilities will be able to work together as a Joint Amphibious Task Force in our region, or to deploy as components of coalitions led by our partners.

NZDF operations

These are also the types of capabilities we have drawn from in recent years to contribute to military operations in our near region, and much further afield.

I want to briefly discuss these, to show how we employ our Defence Force to further our foreign and security policy interests. And to show how much we achieve with a modestly sized force.

New Zealand has supported the international community’s efforts in Afghanistan since December 2001.

We have deployed a number of rotations of special forces, provided the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team since 2003, and continuously provided staff officers to ISAF HQ and the United Nations.

We also deployed frigates and surveillance aircraft into the Gulf region in support of interdiction operations.

New Zealand has maintained an almost continuous military presence in Timor Leste since 1999, initially with an infantry battalion, and more recently with a 75 person peacekeeping force, which was recently withdrawn (five military personnel now remain).

In Solomon Islands, New Zealand has been a leading contributor to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands since 2003, initially with an infantry company, and more recently with a rotating platoon, which has also withdrawn (eight military personnel now remain).

Reflecting improved security conditions, these three operations are in various stages of returning full responsibility to local forces. Bamyan will be one of the first Afghan provinces to transition fully, with our forces scheduled to leave this April.

Although we are withdrawing from Bamyan, this does not mean that we are withdrawing from Afghanistan completely. Rather our mission in Afghanistan is transitioning.
At last week’s ISAF Defence Ministers Meeting in Brussels, I announced around twenty seven personnel will undertake a range of training, planning and logistics roles as part of the ISAF mission.

In addition to these major operations, we have made long-running contributions to the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai, the UN Truce Supervision Organisation, and the UN missions in Iraq, Sudan and South Korea.

I should also note the constant contribution the New Zealand Defence Force makes to monitoring our Exclusive Economic Zone, supporting our operations in Antarctica, and readiness for counter-terrorism responses and civil defence in New Zealand and our region.

The NZDF played an indispensable role in responding to the Christchurch earthquakes, providing immediate logistic, medical, and security assistance.

So while we are a small defence force, we are a busy one. That is the way I think it should be.

It could easily be asked, however: ‘what is the value of a small player? How can they make an impact’?

The reality is that defence is a team game. The sum of the parts is often greater than the individual contributions.

In today’s world, where adversaries are often shadowy extremists with no respect for borders and even less for basic humanity, there is a real strength in sovereign nations large and small banding together.

It demonstrates to the world that there is a collective will to stand for what is right, and protect the innocent.

New Zealand may be a small contributor, but we are also a professional one. We do not shrink from confronting the enemy face to face.

New Zealanders have always excelled on the battlefield, and continue to do so. We are not hampered by a massive logistic tail. We roll up our sleeves and take on the tough jobs when that is needed.

These attributes are important. Sometimes it is not about the size of the dog in the fight, it is about the size of the fight in the dog.

Maintaining capability in a weakening fiscal environment

The challenge is how to keep the capability to conduct such operations in a weakening fiscal environment, with the cost of operating modern capabilities rapidly increasing, and the looming need to replace major land and air assets in the 2020s.

For New Zealand, the question is not so much about cutting defence spending to support the government’s fiscal position, but rather containing rapidly rising costs within a tight budget.

That budget has been around 1% of GDP in recent years, which is about right for our circumstances,

Facing rising costs, one option would have been to retreat into isolationism. To concern ourselves only with our near region, and our modest immediate security needs.
This is not the approach we chose. Direct security requirements do not drive our defence policy. Defence is part of our identity as an involved and active member of the international community.

Not only that, but growing uncertainty is the defining feature of our strategic environment. In this context it seems imprudent to make dramatic capability or funding cuts that we might later regret.

With our relatively modest capability base, there is also little scope to reduce depth without affecting breadth of capability.

To illustrate this point, in 2001, a previous government disbanded our air combat force, which consisted of one squadron of Skyhawks, and a training squadron.

Instead, we are holding defence funding constant, while carefully prioritising our capability plan, and transferring substantial resources from the middle and back of defence to our deployable capabilities.

This approach is allowing us to maintain our breadth of capabilities.

It goes without saying that industry has a part to play in improving efficiency. Our armed forces are not large enough to build and retain all the skills and capabilities that a modern defence force needs.

More and more we look to partnerships with industry – not only to retain defence capability, but to also provide sufficient mass to retain a commercial capability as well.

A good example of collaboration has been the relationship between Babcock – the NZ subsidiary of the British company – and our Navy.

Individually, neither us nor them can maintain the critical mass to underpins the ability to provide a range of marine services. By working together, both benefit. I am hoping that this relationship can strengthen.

Software is another area where industry is an integral player. The RNZAF in particular has a wide ranging partnership with major commercial software companies, to ensure that continuity and capability is maintained.

Our defence industry is not large, but it has some surprisingly advanced niche capabilities.

New Zealand based companies such as BECA, Pacific Aerospace, Rakon, Marops, and Safe Air are leaders in their respective fields.

They are all cost competitive and very capable companies. I encourage all of you to consider New Zealand industry when thinking of some of your own capability requirements.

Couple this with a permissive business environment, and it is well worth a look. We are sometimes overly modest about our capabilities. I invite you to take a closer look.

New Zealand Defence Force Reform programme

By 2014/15, the NZDF aims to save up to 17% of its total operating budget by transferring resources from its middle and back supporting functions to core military capabilities. ($350-400 million saved from a total operating budget of $2,200 million).

This was always recognised as a challenging target, but I’m pleased to note that, two years into the programme, the NZDF is well on track to achieving the savings target.

This has required some fundamental changes to how defence is organised.

To start with, the principal defence legislation (the Defence Act 1990) is being amended to make clear that the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) commands the armed forces directly, rather than through the Service Chiefs.

And the Chiefs themselves will be appointed by the CDF in consultation with the Minister.

This change is enabling the CDF to overcome any traditional Service barriers to move resources within defence, achieving efficiencies and alignment with central direction.

To give you some examples, the NZDF now has a single Logistics Command, Recruitment Organisation, Human Resources Service Centre, Personnel Executive, and Capability Branch. These functional units have replaced numerous single Service units.

This approach will be extended to core military capabilities, where it makes sense to do so, such as Health, Intelligence, and Military Policing.

One of the most difficult changes has been transforming non-operational positions filled by military personnel to civilian positions.

Given there are savings that can result from employing civilians rather than military staff in certain areas, there was a clear rationale for this initiative.

Savings have resulted, but the NZDF has learned some important lessons in change management.

These are some of the larger elements of the savings programme.

There are numerous smaller elements across defence, including: less use of consultants; a smaller defence diplomatic footprint overseas; consolidation of libraries and bands; rationalising vehicle fleets; reducing allowances; and reorganising our reserve forces. Significant savings may also be released from a consolidated defence estate.

To encourage a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, the NZDF is introducing the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence Framework and Lean Six Sigma.

The NZDF will benchmark its performance against relevant public and private sector organisations.

As you can see, change is occurring across the Defence Force, with the sole of objective of releasing resources for deployable capability.

Capability programme

Our reform programme is enabling us to pursue a range of capability upgrades.

Last December I announced the release of tenders to upgrade the self-defence and sensor capabilities of the Royal New Zealand navy frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana.

This will address issues of obsolescence with the ships’ technology and ensure the vessels are a credible capability which can operate in the South Pacific and wider Asia Pacific region.

The Government is also looking seriously at the option of acquiring the ex-Australian Navy Seasprite helicopters to operate from the frigates, and our patrol fleet.

In December, I also announced the release of tenders for a new military pilot training capability.

This project will lead to the acquisition of dedicated advanced pilot training aircraft. Our practice of using non-specialised aircraft for this role had contributed to a decline in airmanship.

A wide-ranging programme is gradually replacing the NZDF’s land transport fleets.

The immediate priority is to acquire new medium and heavy operational vehicles. New Zealand officials are working closely with the UK Ministry of Defence to leverage off the much larger UK contract with the truck manufacturer, MAN.

A number of long-running projects are also in their delivery phase: upgrades of our C130 Hercules and P3 Orion aircraft, and delivery of A109 training/light utility helicopters, and NH90 medium utility helicopters.

Looking further out, we intend to network-enable our land forces; strengthen our command and control systems; improve our intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities; and acquire much-increased satellite network bandwidth for global communications.

Our arrangements for procuring capability have been overhauled in recent years, drawing in some ways on the UK experience. We have adopted an enhanced version of the two-pass business case model developed in the UK, and the gateway project assurance process.

These are bringing much improved rigour and scrutiny to capital projects across government, not just in defence.

We have also introduced independent non-executive directors to our principal governing body, and appointed a civilian Chief Operating Officer. Collectively, these measures are bringing a much-needed professionalism to our procurement activities.

Longer-term and conclusions

The delivery of these projects will provide New Zealand with defence capabilities which are able to respond flexibly to varied and complex tasks both at home and offshore. And enable New Zealand to continue participating as a valued partner of the UK.

A funding challenge does remain, however.

The New Zealand Defence Force will remain obliged to keep its supporting functions as lean as possible. It will also need to carefully consider and prioritise its spending proposals if we are to retain our current breadth of capability.

I expect that tight fiscal restraint will remain the order of the day for many years to come.

I’m confident that my comments today on the New Zealand experience will echo some familiar themes for you, and hopefully offer some food for thought on managing the UK’s own challenges.

As I noted at the outset, the differences between New Zealand and the United Kingdom are differences of scale, not of fundamental nature.

The challenges we face of aligning policy objectives, with capability plans, and limited funding are essentially the same. That is why dialogues such as this are useful to both New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Coleman's Call February 22 2013

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:18:00 +1300

Government is about having a clear plan and delivering an agenda. We've been very clear about our priorities - returning to surplus, growing the economy, rebuilding Christchurch and delivering better public services.

It's important for New Zealand's long term future that we don't deviate from those priorities. Some of the choices are tough and won't be popular with everyone (Christchurch Schools) but I believe we are taking the right decisions to build the long term resilience of our economy and to deliver the services that the public needs. In the wider international context New Zealand is doing well - growth this year is forecast to be greater than in the Eurozone, the U.S., Canada and Japan.

If you've got time it's worth looking at the Business Growth Agenda documents on the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment website. In the back of each document is a list of the measures we've taken across six areas critical to growing the economy. It's a great list to show anyone who claims there hasn't been action by the Government on the economy.

Around and About

On a personal note I was very pleased to get a call from John Key to tell me I was being promoted to the front bench at number 10 in our line up. I genuinely hadn't been expecting it as I didn't think the cabinet reshuffle would be as extensive as it was.

My political year started with my annual "State of the Nation" address at Birkenhead Rotary. A couple of weeks later I attended the opening of the new Beach Haven wharf and ferry service with the Prime Minister. Big crowds turned out and there was a throng of kids wanting photos with the PM - maybe a better indicator than any political poll of how we're going!

We had a National Party stall at Chinese New Year at Northcote Town Centre and I spoke during the official proceedings. As usual a hugely successful community celebration.

The electorate office has been busy with constituent cases and there are plenty of local issues to attend to.

I'm currently in Brussels for the Afghanistan Coalition (International Security Assistance Force) Defence Ministers’ meeting where I will be discussing New Zealand's on-going contribution as part of the international community’s collective security efforts in Afghanistan.

On my return I'm booked to visit secondary schools in the electorate, encouraging students to apply for this year’s Youth Parliament.

So there's plenty on between parliament, the local electorate and Ministerial business!

Statement: NATO-ISAF Defence Ministers' Meeting

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:03:00 +1300

Mr Secretary General, Colleagues

This morning I am pleased to be able to confirm New Zealand’s continuing support for Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force.

New Zealand has stood side-by-side with our ISAF partners in Afghanistan since December 2001. We have deployed New Zealand Defence Force personnel in a range of roles in support of the ISAF mission to first stabilise and then build up the capacity of the Afghan National Security Forces.

Bamyan Province, where New Zealand has led the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) since 2003, was the first province to formally begin transition, in mid-2011. With the lives of the people of Bamyan having improved dramatically, and with Afghan police forces now responsible for security across the province, the New Zealand PRT will soon depart Bamyan after ten years of continuous service. In Bamyan as with the rest of Afghanistan, only the Afghan people can lead it into the future.

Progress has come at the cost of 5 New Zealand lives in the past year and a total of 10 across the country over the past decade. The sacrifices of the dead and wounded right across ISAF and the Afghan forces must not be in vain.

Bamyan has not been immune from its share of challenges. Access to major markets in Kabul and building Bamyan’s tourism industry have been challenging because of criminal networks and insurgent operations targeting travellers along the Bamyan-Parwan Highway.

New Zealand has built links with Bamyan’s neighbouring provinces and worked hard to build the capacity of Bamyan’s police force, including the training of a Police Quick Reaction Force, to ensure that the improvements made in security during the PRT’s involvement in Bamyan do not slip away when we depart.

New Zealand salutes the oustanding leadership efforts of Bamyan Provincial Governor, Dr Sarabi. Her example should be the standard for Afghan governance and leadership.

However sustaining success will require more than just the continued good work of the Bamyan police and provincial government. It requires further improvements in the governance and security of Afghanistan more widely.

New Zealand recognises that Afghanistan continues to require a strong partnership with the international community through the work of ISAF, international development agencies, NGOs, and the United Nations. We are committed to supporting that work.

Four days ago New Zealand’s Prime Minister announced that we will be contributing trainers and support personnel to the Afghan National Army Officers’ Academy from later this year, as well as intelligence and planning personnel to staff positions in Kabul.

We will also play our part in funding Afghanistan’s National Security Forces, as well as provide on going development support in line with the commitments made at the 2012 Tokyo Development Conference.

New Zealand welcomes - and continues to encourage – the efforts of the government of Afghanistan to redouble its efforts to improve the rule of law, reduce corruption and ensure that the treatment of detainees under its control are afforded all the rights due to them under Afghan and international law.

In this regard, I acknowledge the response of the Afghan Government to the recent UNAMA detainees report. This remains an important issue for New Zealand and the international community.

We welcome the work that has been done by NATO to develop plans for a suitably resourced, follow-on mission from ISAF after 2014 – Operation Resolute Support – which supports the ever-increasing capacity of Afghan Forces to provide for the security of their own country.

New Zealand remains committed to playing its part, working with the Afghan Government and our ISAF partners, to ensure that Afghanistan becomes a more prosperous nation and is never again used as a haven for international terrorism.

We thank General Allen for his efforts as Commander of ISAF, and extend our congratulations and support to General Dunford as he assumes the ISAF leadership.

Thank You

Coleman's Call December 12 2012

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:59:27 +1300

The festive season is here and no doubt everyone is scrambling to tie off the obligations of the working year before heading off for a well-earned break with family and friends.

Firstly I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me in 2012, and wish you all the best for a Happy Christmas. I’ve found the year especially busy with new portfolios in Defence, State Services and Associate Finance, but it’s also been incredibly stimulating. There have been major policy developments in all three, as well as a number of overseas engagements in Defence.

As a Government I believe we’re finishing our fourth year in office with New Zealand in a strong position for the future. It’s no secret that we’ve focussed on responsible management of the economy. Although times are tough globally, New Zealand’s books are in good shape and the economy is growing at a faster rate than most western nations. There are many countries who would look enviously at our overall national financial position.

That’s not to say that we’re not aware of the challenges we must meet over the next two years. Tackling unemployment is right at the top of our priority list, and we know that it’s not easy for people.

Personally I’ve found the year exceptionally memorable professionally. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed contact on a regular basis with our armed forces personnel and enjoyed spending time with our people in Afghanistan, the Sinai, as well as here in New Zealand. Another highlight was accompanying veterans to the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein. Signing the Washington Declaration with U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and then hosting him in Auckland will live long in the memory.

The toughest time was the loss of 5 New Zealand Defence Force personnel in Afghanistan over a two week period, and visiting the families in the immediate aftermath. I cannot speak highly enough of defence force personnel, the risks they face and the sacrifices that they have made in our name.

The core work of a Member of Parliament though is back in the electorate and I gain an enormous amount of satisfaction from representing the Northcote electorate (which of course includes Northcote, Birkenhead, Beach Haven, Birkdale, Hillcrest and most of Glenfield) in our parliament. You would not find a better place to live in New Zealand and I’m incredibly proud of our local community. It’s certainly a great tonic getting that first view of the electorate as you drive on to the Harbour Bridge after a week in Wellington, and getting back into local life for a few days.

We’ve got a great local vibe and that was exemplified on Sunday at the annual Birkenhead Santa parade. It was perfect weather and I reckon we had the biggest crowd ever. Hats off to Birkenhead Rotary for a sterling effort; the whole event reinforced for everyone there what a great community we live in.

So, as the year draws to a close, I thank you for your support in 2012, and wish you a very Happy Christmas, a great break, and all the best for the New Year.