Combat wing will fly: English

By FRANCESCA MOLD political reporter

National has promised to restore the country's air combat wing and possibly buy a third frigate, but it first wants to get public approval for its ideas.

National leader Bill English revealed his party's defence policy at Parliament yesterday. It included promises to increase New Zealand's spending on defence and review defence staff pay rates.

Mr English said National was committed to restoring the air fighter force disbanded by the Government last year.

"We no longer live in a benign strategic environment. Insecurity and uncertainty colour the times we live in," he said.

Mr English did not know how much it would cost to rebuild the fighter wing, but said it would be achieved through a long-term capital programme. Neither could he give a date for the project because "restoring a combat capability is a big, complicated job and we are realistic about that".

Mr English said National also believed a decision had to be made about whether New Zealand should purchase a third frigate or resign itself to going without a "blue water" Navy.

National's preference was to buy the extra frigate.

Mr English's policy launch yesterday left some journalists confused about how definite National's defence decisions were.

Mr English said the policy contained principles and preferred options. But his party would put those options out to the public for consultation before implementing them. The consultation would occur through a Defence Review discussion document to be made public within months of being elected.

"We will go to the public with a set of proposals and build a broad base of public support. I don't think there is any other choice in a democracy," he said.

Mr English was asked what National would do if the public said no to its proposals.

"Well, we'll go out to win the argument," he replied.

Mr English said it was vital to build public support rather than the Government making "half-baked" decisions behind closed doors.

Defence Minister Mark Burton criticised National's policy as a mix of old promises it had previously failed to act upon in government and others already delivered by the Labour-led Government.

"And the party that wants to cut taxes is promising yet another unaffordable spend-up, without any explanation of where the money would come from."

Mr Burton said restoring the air combat wing could cost up to $3 billion in equipment, training, infrastructure and operating costs.

But Mr English said any numbers the Government gave out should not be believed.

National's policy also touched on a desire to strengthen defence ties with other countries, including Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Before the policy launch yesterday, Mr English told a Returned Services Association conference that New Zealand was seen as "bludging" on Australia's goodwill.

He said if National was elected to Government, it would negotiate a new Anzac defence relationship with Australia to replace the existing closer defence relationship.

Mr English admitted progress had been made in improving New Zealand's relationship with the US, but he said National would work to take it further, although it would not relax anti-nuclear laws.

Act leader Richard Prebble said National's policy of rebuilding the combat wing was welcome but not credible unless New Zealand rejoined Anzus. "It's a loss of personnel and generations of institutional knowledge that is now the biggest challenge to rebuilding the Air Force. Only the US can help us do this at an affordable price," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton said National's defence policy made Air Force jet fighters more important than jobs, health care or education.

* National also announced Epsom MP Richard Worth, a former Navy captain and Chief of Naval Reserves, would replace former Defence Minister Max Bradford as the party's defence spokesman. Mr Bradford is retiring from Parliament.

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