Ron Mark MP

Spokesperson for Defence

Deputy Leader
14 APRIL 2016

National’s Naval Scandal

New Zealand First believes there is a growing crisis in defence with Royal New Zealand Navy ships ‘tied up’ and with just nine fisheries patrol days this year.

“Is the government squeezing the Navy so much, that our two Offshore Patrol Vessels are being used as frigates and just one inshore patrol vessel is left to patrol New Zealand’s vast maritime area of responsibility?” asked Ron Mark, New Zealand First Defence Spokesperson.

“We were shocked to discover that right up to the end of March, all of the Navy’s fisheries patrols have been undertaken by the inshore patrol vessel HMNZS Hawera and that amounts to only nine days at sea.

“Of her sisters, HMNZS Rotoiti hasn’t logged a fisheries patrol since the beginning of 2015 but what’s truly scandalous, is that Pukaki hasn’t left port since sometime in 2012 and Taupo, sometime in 2013.

“In the first 98-days of 2016, which includes the Antarctic summer, the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha has spent just four days at sea while Te Manahasn’t left port since sometime in 2014.

“So the tanker HMNZS Endeavour and three of our four patrol vessels have not logged a single day at sea in the first 98-days of 2016.

“While our Offshore Patrol Vessels HMNZS Otago and Wellington have 57 sea days between them, they’ve conducted no fisheries patrols. Despite that being a primary function, they’ve only logged 10 fisheries patrol days in all of 2015.

“It is unacceptable to see fewer and fewer fisheries patrols, only 33 days last year, when our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is larger than what Europe is.

“Given we’re also responsible for a vast slice of the globe that extends from Antarctica to north of the equator and mid-Tasman to east of the Cook Islands, our Navy is frankly way too small and our seas are mostly unguarded.

“It is scandalous to see our Navy tied up for want of money, crews or both because on defence, National is simply AWOL.

“It also makes the proposed Kermadec sanctuary a farce and shows the low regard this government has for the services. With the impending Defence White Paper these numbers are nothing short of a scandal,” Mr Mark said.

OFFICIAL INFORMATION:

In each calendar year since 2008, how many days at sea by vessel, has been logged by RNZN vessels undertaking fisheries patrol, if any? [dated 29 March 2016]

In each calendar year since 2008, how many sea days, if any, have been undertaken by Her Majesty’s New Zealand Ships: Te Kaha; Te Mana; Endeavour; Canterbury; Otago; Wellington; Rotoiti; Hawea; Pukaki; Taupo and Manawanui (as well as the former ships Kahu and Resolution)? [dated 7 April 2016]

Since 24 December 2015 to 21 March 2016 by individual vessel, how many days at sea, if any, have been undertaken by Her Majesty’s New Zealand Ships: Te Kaha; Te Mana; Endeavour; Canterbury; Otago; Wellington; Rotoiti; Hawea; Pukaki; Taupo and Manawanui? [dated 1 April 2016]

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