Canterbury Inquiry Must Be Thorough

Dr Wayne Mapp MP
National Party Defence Spokesman

National’s Defence spokesman Wayne Mapp says the proposed review of the Navy’s multi-role ship HMNZS Canterbury must be thorough.

Dr Mapp says he supports the review which is being conducted by the Chief of Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence, and expects that any safety concerns which may be uncovered will be addressed immediately.

“Navy and Defence Force personnel must be assured that the design and performance of the Canterbury is of the very highest standard.

“It is also timely to remind the Government that when it acquired the Canterbury it was given the choice of buying a one-off vessel or a well-proven design that had been built for three navies around the world.

“National at the time was concerned that choosing the one-off model could lead to unproven design risks - which now seems to have eventuated.

“A small defence force like New Zealand’s should always purchase well-proven products.”

ENDS

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