Can the ‘Minister of Defence’ Be Anymore Hopeless?

new-zealand-first-party

Mon Apr 20 2015 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Can the ‘Minister of Defence’ Be Anymore Hopeless?

Monday, 20 April 2015, 9:18 am
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

19 April 2015

Can the ‘Minister of Defence’ Be Anymore Hopeless?

New Zealand First is further questioning the competence of the Minister of Defence after receiving another 13 word ‘brush-off’, this time to questions around the Navy’s key Littoral Operational Support Capability Project.

“I’d like the Prime Minister to tell New Zealanders why this man holds the Ministerial warrant for Defence,” says New Zealand First Defence spokesperson, Ron Mark.

“Bearing in mind it was his Ministry that issued a Request for Information (RFI) in 2013 to have this capability in place by 2017/18, is it really acceptable to get this answer; ‘The Littoral Operational Support Capability Project is still in the capability development phase.’

“Doesn’t he know it is 2015? HMZNS Manawanui is approaching the end of her life and provides the Navy’s sole diving support ship. Meanwhile, the Navy has had a hydrographic capability gap since 2012 when HMZNS Resolution was paid off.

“Yet Mr Brownlee has confirmed that the Navy has no ability to detect and defeat naval mines, something New Zealand is acutely vulnerable to. This makes this project so important given the RFI lists a heavy weight side scan sonar and autonomous underwater vehicles.

“But just like Sgt Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes, ‘Brownlee knows nothing!’ Maybe I should ask the person on Linked-In who is the ‘Requirements Manager Littoral Operations Support Capability Project at New Zealand Defence Force.’

“It is not acceptable that Mr Brownlee does not know if the 2018 Initial Operational Capability in the 2013 RFI will be met, or whether he will allow another capability gap to develop, just like his predecessor Dr Coleman allowed with hydrography,” Mr Mark said.

ENDS

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