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Post by 30sqnatc on Jun 13, 2020 10:52:46 GMT 12
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Post by madmac on Jun 13, 2020 19:34:00 GMT 12
Now is the time to go shopping with 100% offset agreements.
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Post by gibbo on Jun 26, 2021 0:06:20 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 26, 2021 9:06:40 GMT 12
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Post by 30sqnatc on Jun 26, 2021 20:12:20 GMT 12
Stormy times approaching, funding cutbacks and many defence personnel feeling unhappy as they approach double figure number of deployments to MIQ facilities.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 26, 2021 21:17:42 GMT 12
Yep, once again Labour is royally screwing NZDF. And that was always on the cards when they replaced the very capable ex-soldier Ron Mark as Minister of Defence with a fourth generation career politician who's background is in social policy. The next few years will not be great, and when this government is finally turfed out it will be back to trying rebuild once again. It always seems to be one step forward, three steps back.
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nz104
Flying Officer
Posts: 56
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Post by nz104 on Jun 26, 2021 21:28:00 GMT 12
Well said Dave !!
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chasper
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 89
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Post by chasper on Apr 6, 2022 12:09:14 GMT 12
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Post by pepe on Apr 6, 2022 12:40:12 GMT 12
Perhaps it's the pessimist in me but my interpretation of Mr Luxon's comments were that "we like the theory of increased Defence spending, but due to our proposed tax changes it may not be affordable". I'm not sure I will be holding my breath. |
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Post by ams888 on Apr 6, 2022 14:23:32 GMT 12
Regardless of who is in government, you would think that what is happening in Europe, coupled with what appears to be a surprise agreement between China and the Solomon Islands, that we would look at increasing our defense spending. Surely Australia must be getting sick of being the only one with any capabilities in our neck of the woods.
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Post by machina on Apr 6, 2022 18:35:57 GMT 12
Despite my low opinion of the government there has actually been a few signs that the existing mindset on defence may slowly be shifting. It seems as if the Ukrainian situation has ‘allowed’ politicians and commentators to be more open about China, and therefore our own position in a defence context. One lives in hope it might actually lead to something.
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Post by madmac on Apr 6, 2022 20:37:58 GMT 12
They could just start with the Cheapest contribution to defense by both (National & Labour) ditching the PRC agents from their party lists. Yes they have ditch a couple but those were replaced with lower profile agents (& I can never remember their names).
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 7, 2022 7:34:28 GMT 12
The worm has definitely turned. Talkback radio and media are even now talking about how we need to significantly increase defence spending and refocusing on a combat capability. Of course there are still the greenies and those with their heads in the sand but I think the NZ Gov't will come under a lot of external pressure to do more. Perhaps not under this Gov't but under the next we will hopefully see things change for the better.
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Post by tbf2504 on Apr 7, 2022 8:52:02 GMT 12
Interesting parallels in history. During the 1930s Japan began building up economic relationships with many of the south Asian and south pacific islands. They established small commercial enterprises which also acted as intelligence
gathering bases. They had an extremely close relationship with the king of Tonga, to the point that in 1940, New Zealand actively beefed up its defence ties with that nation. There were reports that NZ intelligence sources found
stock piles of strategic materials (cement, reinforcing steel etc) that had been secreted in Tonga by the Japanese businesses. If you study the Japanese war plans, their intention was to bypass Fiji and establish a big base
in Tonga effectively cutting off the US Australia/NZ supply lines.
Over the past three decades China has followed a similar sneaky path!!!
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Post by mcmaster on Apr 7, 2022 11:58:30 GMT 12
Good to see defence is at least being thought about by some there. In Australia's case the worm moved very quickly from welcoming Xi to our Parliament with open arms by a Liberal (ie conservative) PM and then some emerging concern with the islands in the South China Sea (where they said there'd never ever be military facilities) to the extreme of trade sanctions and a list of 14 demands from their side following our moves to tighten foreign influence laws and also request an investigation onto origins of COVID (bit of own goal in hindsight). Since then defense and standing up to China is up there as one of the hot issues for the soon to be announced election. Defence announcements are nearly daily with long range missiles (JASSM-ER) for the Super Hornets and F35s brought forward, new Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) to replace the Harpoons on the Frigates and Destroyers and just yesterday working with the UK and US to catch up with China and Russia on hypersonic missiles, which Australia will aspire to have a domestic capacity to supply. NZ is in a different position in terms of public perceptions I imagine, more like Aus pre COVID but things do move fast... www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-06/aukus-expand-cooperation-hypersonic-weapons-australia-defence/100965748 www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/04/australia-approves-35-billion-missile-procurement/ |
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