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Post by Antonio on May 8, 2023 19:52:02 GMT 12
Budget 2023: Massive Defence spend to see personnel receive 'biggest pay increase in over a decade' "The pay for many NZDF personnel, including new recruits, will increase between $4000 to $15,000 from July 1 as part of Budget 2023. It means roughly 90% of defence force personnel "will now be paid at, or close to, market rates", Defence Minister Andrew Little said." Various links here about this: www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/05/budget-2023-massive-defence-spend-to-see-personnel-receive-biggest-pay-increase-in-over-a-decade.html www.1news.co.nz/2023/05/08/nzdf-personnel-to-receive-pay-rise-from-july-1/#:~:text=The%20pay%20for%20many%20NZDF,Defence%20Minister%20Andrew%20Little%20said. www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/489510/new-zealand-increases-defence-force-pay-rates-funding  A quote by him: ...there is a "moral obligation to ensure our soldiers, sailors and aviators are fairly paid for the critical and often dangerous work they do, and the Government takes that responsibility seriously on behalf of all New Zealanders" Wages have stagnated over the last 5 years! What pisses me off is how he can make such an inane statement when the government has ignored the issue of staff retention until critical mass has been reached. No different from the health sector, ect, ect. I could rant on but will gracefully step off my soap box! |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 8, 2023 19:58:29 GMT 12
About bloody time!
I hope all the RNZAF's non-aviators get a pay rise too. Bloody stupid terminology they now use for Airmen and Airwomen.
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Post by alanster on May 8, 2023 20:02:10 GMT 12
Ok I’ve deleted my post about this. Good to see. It’s a huge budget increase just for pay scales and the biggest increase in over a decade.
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Post by alanster on May 8, 2023 20:04:28 GMT 12
 From Newshub. |
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Post by Antonio on May 8, 2023 20:41:56 GMT 12
Apparently we are now spending 1% of GDP.
Oh and we are getting new comms so that our Bushmasters can talk to the Yanks & Aussies!!
(I sure I heard that right)
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Post by alanster on May 8, 2023 21:04:13 GMT 12
It’s been 1% for 20 years besides from a few years ago where it reached 1.5% with all the new aircraft purchases being made. Ron Mark purchased those Bushmasters. I think he got a cut-price no frills deal and it was left to future defence ministers to fill in the rest.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 9, 2023 0:12:03 GMT 12
I am surprised we still have a GDP any more with most of our manufacturing either moved offshore or owned by offshore entities that suck all the profits straight out of the country, and our tourism industry being all but destroyed, and so many businesses and farms in financial dire straits. Almost everything we buy in NZ now is from abroad.
For those who do not know, here is a definition - Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period.
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Post by 11SQNLDR on May 9, 2023 12:45:31 GMT 12
As usual with this mob too little, too late  I wonder how the new rates compare with the ADF? Also what amount of super do NZDF pers get these days? The ADF rate is currently 16.4%.  And allowances:  |
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Post by skyhawkdon on May 10, 2023 14:10:25 GMT 12
A "massive" spending increase on Defence would be to double our measly 1% of GDP to where it should be - 2%. Maintaining it at 1% is just treading water and won't solve the problem.
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Post by tbf2504 on May 10, 2023 16:34:13 GMT 12
Back in the 1970s it was around 1.2% of GDP if my memory serves correctly, and even then we struggled!
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Post by alanster on May 11, 2023 19:46:49 GMT 12
A "massive" spending increase on Defence would be to double our measly 1% of GDP to where it should be - 2%. Maintaining it at 1% is just treading water and won't solve the problem. According to left-wing blogger Martyn Bradbury, Labour has “quietly” increased defence spending to “just under 2%”. Not sure how true that is but he argues for 3%!  Read more |
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Post by madmac on May 12, 2023 18:59:52 GMT 12
For a Massive Defence spend it seems to be missing a nought off the end.
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Post by obiwan27 on May 15, 2023 10:37:31 GMT 12
A "massive" spending increase on Defence would be to double our measly 1% of GDP to where it should be - 2%. Maintaining it at 1% is just treading water and won't solve the problem. According to left-wing blogger Martyn Bradbury, Labour has “quietly” increased defence spending to “just under 2%”. Not sure how true that is but he argues for 3%! Read moreAccording to the recent North and South article, the NZDF has calculated that defence spending fluctuates between 0.8% and 1.1% of GDP. That about a 20% fluctuation over a few years. Chief of Defence Force urges Govt to chose a % betwen 1 & 2% and stick with it. In addition, $4.5 Billion of additional funding recently, was for equipment upgrades - The P8s, C130Js and new armoured vehicles (Bushmasters?) The blogger is probably alluding to that. At least they are finally giving the staff a pay boost, but they need to set a % of GDP and stick with it. northandsouth.co.nz/2023/02/11/new-zealand-defence-force/ |
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Post by madmac on May 16, 2023 7:51:28 GMT 12
Why is an arbitrary % of GDP considered acceptable, especially one that was set in the post cold war environment.
There seems to a complete failure that recognize that the world has changed particularly in Washington. Had Russia invade Ukraine during the thrum presidency there would have been very little to no American aid for Ukraine, we see far right elements holding up approvals of arms shipments and the republican presidential candidates pushing reducing support for Ukraine. Regardless of the USA military capacity they are becoming an unreliable politically and given the amount of US kit the Ozzies by extension this makes Ozzie far less reliable.
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Post by richard1098 on May 16, 2023 20:29:43 GMT 12
Why is an arbitrary % of GDP considered acceptable, especially one that was set in the post cold war environment. There seems to a complete failure that recognize that the world has changed particularly in Washington. Had Russia invade Ukraine during the thrum presidency there would have been very little to no American aid for Ukraine, we see far right elements holding up approvals of arms shipments and the republican presidential candidates pushing reducing support for Ukraine. Regardless of the USA military capacity they are becoming an unreliable politically and given the amount of US kit the Ozzies by extension this makes Ozzie far less reliable.Well, I'm guessing that NZ's reaction to Australia's purchase of nuclear submarines prompted some conversations in Washington and Canberra.  |
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Post by Antonio on May 19, 2023 10:54:05 GMT 12
New Zealand unveils defense budget, with Army in the lead. Link: Defence News :quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/P4ZSPTYSIJBAVEOG654ZWB53M4.jpg) A soldier takes part in Exercise Torokiki at Linton Military Camp on Nov. 25, 2022, in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
(Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s military will receive about NZ$5.3 billion (U.S. $3.3 billion) under the country’s 2023/2024 defense budget, unveiled May 18. Last year, the New Zealand Defence Force received about NZ$4.9 billion. Inflation to December 2022 was just over 7%, according to Statistics NZ.New Zealand’s Army has the largest share of funding among the armed services, receiving NZ$1.1 billion. The Army received about NZ$1.1 billion last year. The government is allocating about NZ$1 billion — compared to NZ$941 million last year — to the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Royal New Zealand Navy is set to get about NZ$714 million — an increase from last year’s NZ$667 million. An additional NZ$574 million will go toward protecting New Zealand’s territorial sovereignty and contribute to regional and global security efforts. And more than NZ$30 million is meant to assist with “the employment of New Zealand’s Armed Forces overseas, and to enable the provision of military capabilities overseas.” The Government Communications Security Bureau, which specializes in gathering intelligence from electronic communications, is to receive almost NZ$402 million — a 25% increase from last year. The Defence Ministry is set to get about NZ$1.3 billion for the “procurement of major military capabilities.” This includes NZ$605 million for five new C-130J-30 Hercules airlifters to replace the existing C-130H fleet, which has been in service with the Air Force since 1965, and almost NZ$14 million for P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The third P-8A of four ordered is to arrive in New Zealand on May 19. The budget also includes more pay for military personnel, with increases ranging from NZ$4,000 to NZ$15,000, beginning July 1 and costing NZ$419 million over four years. Defence Minister Andrew Little said the increase has led to the withdrawal of some resignation letters. The budget for resource and border protection operations increases from NZ$610 million to NZ$634 million. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 19, 2023 17:08:17 GMT 12
.
I don't understand government accounting, but I would have thought that they already had and spent the money for the five C-130s? Or do they pay this in installments?
They sound cheap.
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Post by ErrolC on May 19, 2023 18:02:01 GMT 12
. I don't understand government accounting, but I would have thought that they already had and spent the money for the five C-130s? Or do they pay this in installments? They sound cheap. If you are a government in good standing you don't hand over hundreds of millions in advance of any being delivered! I'm sure there are substantial penalties if you try to cancel at this stage however. The P-8s should all be delivered before the financial year that the budget covers begins. Might have even paid for the simulator, probably not for installing it? |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 19, 2023 18:11:16 GMT 12
Even if they did not hand it over as payment I'm sure that Hercules money has been in previous budgets, hasn't it?
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Post by ErrolC on May 20, 2023 13:32:34 GMT 12
The Government Budget includes forecast for future years (so if you eg promise tax cuts after the next election then everyone can see the impact of that). I couldn't find a table setting out planned Defence spending for future years but the Treasury reports for Budget 2022 includes:
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