Crewing cuts leave our Navy high and dry

Revelations that the Royal New Zealand Navy cannot put all its inshore patrol vessels to sea because of a lack of crew are a damning indictment on Defence Minister Jonathon Coleman's management of his portfolio, says Labour's Defence Spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.

"Morale is at an all time low and with Defence Force personnel lining up to leave, the Navy has found itself unable to adequately crew its Inshore Patrol Vessels.

"That leaves our economic zone vulnerable and makes a mockery of the Government's supposed concern about protecting our border from boatloads of asylum seekers.

"The responsibility for this outrageous situation lies squarely with the Minister. He is the one demanding unrealistic cuts to the Defence Force budget. He is the one that has driven the civilianisation, cuts to allowances and redundancies that are causing so much pain for our military personnel.

"As predicted, the ability to deploy the military where and when they are needed is now being reduced.

“It is time the minister accepted responsibility. His number one priority must now be to get morale back to acceptable levels and get the attrition rate under control. New Zealand's security depends upon him sorting this mess out now,” said Iain Lees-Galloway.