TV1 News

Defence Review

There’s no future for air combat after the New Zealand defence review unveiled by the Government today. It is a huge change in defence direction that will see major redundancies in the airforce.

The army is the big winner in today’s defence shakeup. The new rationale is: do what we do well.

Jenny Shipley has said this is bludging on our neighbours. Helen Clark said: “is the difference between bludging and not bludging having 16 clapped out skyhawks?”

Only the Green Party wholeheartedly approved of the Government’s new defence strategy.

Political editor Mark Sainsbury said there were no surprises, as the details have been drip-fed, but the significance of the change in direction for NZ defence should not be underestimated.

Following the downgrading of the airforce , the Government is asking if it still needs airbases at both Ohakea and Whenuapai.

The RSA says scrapping the Skyhawks makes today a sad day for NZ.

Opinion on Wellington’s streets was mixed.

© Scoop Media