Defence Review 2009 Public Consultation Document
Review Context
Defence capability and policy is an important component of New Zealand's foreign and security policies. While the Defence Force is constitutionally the sole provider of military forces, it is not the only contributor to national security.
A range of other government departments and agencies make contributions too. These include New Zealand Police, New Zealand Customs Service, New Zealand Immigration Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, the Government Communications Security Bureau and the Ministry of Fisheries.
These agencies all help to promote and maintain New Zealand's national security. While acknowledging the wider security context, the Review will focus on the contribution of the Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence towards New Zealand's security.
Our Situation
The Defence Review will examine our strategic environment. It will assess whether changes in that environment should alter the range of tasks that the Government might require the Defence Force to undertake. The future mix of capabilities the Defence Force should have will be considered. The Review will also examine how the Defence Force can most effectively use the resources available to it.
New Zealand is geographically isolated but we are interconnected with the wider global community. We are affected by many global events despite our distance from them. A prosperous and well-ordered world enables New Zealanders to thrive and to deliver our proper voice on the international stage.
New Zealand's participation in global affairs is based on fundamental values, including upholding basic freedoms and human rights. The New Zealand Defence Force contributes to international security by building, keeping, or enforcing the peace. This is normally done through the United Nations or some other multilateral process, or at the request of host governments which might be grappling with domestic security concerns.
The global and regional security environment has altered in recent decades. The calls on our Defence Force to contribute to international peacekeeping or security initiatives have been greater than was expected ten years ago. A scan of the current international environment suggests this pattern is unlikely to change. It is possible, however, that the tasks the Defence Force undertakes in our immediate region might consume proportionately more resources than those further afield.
Using our Defence Force
Given the size of New Zealand's economy and the scale of our Defence Force, the range of choices over the possible deployment of our military capabilities will never be great. We will always have to assess the possible use of our limited military resources against a broad range of possible tasks.
It is likely that many, if not all, of our defence deployments will take place alongside defence forces of other nations. That means there is an external interest in our Defence Force structure and capabilities. We need to bear in mind how our capabilities fit in with our security partners.
It is also the case that Defence Force deployments are likely to be but one component of a broader New Zealand intervention, involving other agencies and assets. Defence decisions must therefore be compatible with a broader national security strategy.
Together, these elements place a premium on the quality of policy-making and decisionmaking. One of the measures of this Defence Review will be whether it provides the best possible information and advice to Ministers, including in relation to the views of citizens, to enable the Government to make sound policy choices.
Top | Previous | Next