FUTURE OF R.N.Z.A.F

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 30 November 1945, Page 5

FUTURE OF R.N.Z.A.F

EARLY DECISION URGED (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, Nov. 29. Declaring that it w’as time the Government came to a decision regarding the future of the R.N.Z.A.F., Mr H. T. Morton (National. Waitemata) said in the House of Representatives that some of New Zealand’s most famous and best known Air Force pilots were accepting positions in other parts of the world because of the uncertainty regarding the position in their own country. Now that the war had been over a good many weeks, continued far Morton. it was time Cabinet made up its mind what it was going to do with the R.N.Z.A.F. It was sad to see so many of the best New Zealand pilots leaving their own country because of the Government's delay in making up its mind. The Air Force was vital to the life of New Zealand, and it was no good leaving valuable aircraft out in the open while the Government made up its mind. PLANES LYING IN OPEN In Hamilton, there were 500 planes, many in splendid order and recently returned from the Pacific, lying in the open. They had cost this country about £11,000.000, and it was a sad state of affairs. The Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) replied by detailing the numbers which totalled 466. adding that they were lend-lease machines and did not belong to New Zealand. They belonged to the American Government, but even if they belonged to New Zealand. it was a question of the extent to which they could be used now the war was over. The New Zealand Air Force had any number of Oxfords and other aircraft, many of which would have to be scrapped, but the machines to which Mr Morton had referred were lend-lease. The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser): We cannot use them until the lendlease business is settled. The Minister of Defence: And even then, it is questionable whether we can use all the aircraft available in New Zealand.