Defence Minister challenges report

Press, 4 June 1988, Page 4

Defence Minister challenges report

The Minister of Defence, Mr Tizard, has challenged a Wellington news report in which he is quoted as saying New Zealand might not be able to afford the four Navy frigates planned in the Anzac shipbuilding programme. In a statement yesterday, Mr Tizard said the report had distorted remarks he had made in an article written by the Minister for the “Australian” newspaper. The Wellington report quoted the Minister as saying New Zealand may not be able to afford some of the planned defence purchases, such as the four new frigates. “What I said in the original article has not received a fair summation and has simply been distorted” the Minister said in his statement.

Mr Tizard said he wanted to note two points about his statement to the Australian newspaper. The first was that he was looking at the Anzac shipbuilding programme over the original 15 year period as proposed and pointing out that during that period some of New Zealand’s defence emphasis could change. He also wanted Australians to realise New Zealand had in mind a specific sum for defence spending, and there must be concern that a large part of it would be taken up by the ship-building programme. “If that programme for the vessels is compressed into a shorter time frame than the 15 years proposed, the problem of paying the money in that time frame is even greater.

"Quite clearly in New Zealand’s eyes it could be desirable then to get two ships, as originally suggested; in 1993 and 1994, and postpone the other two until outside that 15year period if it is considered necessary to take on other priorities, which could be considered more important in the light of any future developments.”

the Minister said his message to the Australians was that it might be — because of other possible priorities — that payment for two of the four frigates needed by

the Royal New Zealand Navy would be made in the 15-year time frame. “Perhaps we will be starting payment, but certainly not completing payment of the third and fourth vessels within that 15 year time frame.”