Defence Review 2009 Public Consultation Document
Policy Background
The overall purpose of the Defence Force is set out in the Defence Act 1990 (the Act). The Act provides for armed forces to be raised and maintained for:
- the defence of New Zealand and the protection of its interests, whether in New Zealand or elsewhere;
- the contribution of forces under collective arrangements; and
- the contribution of forces to the United Nations or other organisations or states for operations in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The Act also makes provision for the Defence Force to be used in New Zealand or elsewhere to perform any public service or to assist the civil power in time of emergency.
Since the last Defence White Paper in 1997, defence policy has been largely based on the 1999 report of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee’s Inquiry into Defence Beyond 2000. This report recommended a move from the concept of a ‘balanced’ force structure and called for greater prioritisation of defence objectives and tasks. It also called for a smaller but sharper range of capabilities more narrowly tailored to these objectives and tasks. The previous Government adopted this approach in its management of defence. Its policy was set out in the Defence Policy Framework (2000), the Government Defence Statement (2001), the Defence Long-Term Development Plan (2002 and regularly updated) and the Defence Sustainability Initiative (2005). These documents are available at www.defence.govt.nz.
The financial context must also be considered. New Zealand currently spends around 1 percent of its Gross Domestic Product on defence. This level of spending has been relatively constant for the last decade. Along with the rest of the state sector, the Defence Force must operate within tightened fiscal constraints and a sustainable funding path will need to be developed. This must take account of affordability, the long-term nature of defence planning and asset life. The inevitable peaks in defence spending that result from the introduction of new equipment must also be carefully managed.
The long-term impact of decisions made over the next few years means that the time-frame for this Review needs to extend until at least 2035.
