Hon Heather Roy speech to the Territorial Force Employer Support Council Employer of the Year Awards; Grand Hall, Parliament, Wellington; Tuesday, April 7 2009.

Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae; Chairman of the Territorial Force Employer Support Council Mr John Allen; UK High Commissioner George Fergusson; US Charges d'Affaires Hon Dr David Keegan; Mayor of Wellington Ms Kerry Prendergast.

Territorial Forces Employer Support Council members, Ministerial and Parliamentary colleagues, Diplomatic representatives, Reserve Force employers from throughout New Zealand, members of the New Zealand Defence Forces, ladies and gentlemen.  It is a great pleasure to welcome you here, this evening, to the 2009 Territorial Forces Employer Support Council Awards Ceremony.

Tonight's awards recognise the timeless bond between society and its protectors.  Whether threats to our lifestyle arise through the forces of nature or external aggression, no military force in history that has separated itself in terms of geography or attitude from the society it serves has ultimately prevailed.  Reserve Forces represent one of the most tangible links for ordinary Kiwis to their Armed Forces.

However, I know from personal experience that it is not easy to serve your country as a Reservist.  When I joined the Territorial Force in 2006, I used a mix of Parliamentary recess time and leave in order to attend basic training.

To avoid accusations of 'double-dipping', I donated all my Army pay to the RSA's Tasman Fund for Vietnam Veterans and their families.  While I received a lot of encouragement, I was also the recipient of significant public and private criticism of my choice - comments like "ACT MP missing in action" were not uncommon.

Gone are the days when nations could rely on a general call-up of able-bodied men for contingencies ranging from civil disaster to total war (luckily, some of us in the weaker sex are also not too bad at driving bulldozers and blowing things up!).

Warfare reflects society and there are strong political, economic, social and technological trends that are shaping our security environment.  Advanced technology sometimes means that long lead times are required to reach appropriate levels of capability.  The 'surge' model of just-in-time Reserve Force employment, while not insurmountable, can therefore be challenging.

The current Reserve Force - which numbers around 2,300 soldiers, sailors and airmen - represents over one-fifth of the total personnel strength of the New Zealand Defence Force.  Over 500 Reserve Force personnel have deployed around the world in recent years and many more have undertaken full-time service in New Zealand so that others could deploy.

Throughout history, we Kiwis have always expressed our dislike for compulsion.  This is reflected in attitudes to prohibition and in the frequent changes to Compulsory Military Training and National Service schemes over many decades.  However, the retirement of the wartime generation of politicians and business leaders brought additional complications for those wishing to serve their country in a part-time capacity in the Defence Force.

For the first time, they had to explain the value of their service to employers in order to get leave to attend training or operations.  Coupled with continuous rapid change and variable economic circumstances - now permanent features of our markets - it is not surprising that our Reserve Force numbers have sharply reduced from the 30,000 that existed in 1972.

There have been many attempts to legislate on behalf of Reservists.  However, as the service personnel in the room know, a law is like an RFL - the Defence Force 'Required Fitness Level' test.  It is a minimum standard, rather than a target to aspire to.  The ideal is doing the very best that you can do.  Perhaps we should encourage more physical training instructors to enter Parliament!

However, there is and always will be the need for legal goal posts and I wish to acknowledge the work of two individuals.

First, Brigadier Tim Brewer, who is about to leave the role of Director-General of Reserves and Cadet Forces.  Brigadier Brewer has worked tirelessly for the cause of the Reserves.  His military whakapapa in this country can be traced back to the first ships.  He has given selflessly of whatever free time a Crown Solicitor has - not only to military training but also to community and youth groups, the Law Commission and countless research projects and inquiries in order to create modern structures from which our Reserves can rise, phoenix-like, and flourish in today's society.  Brigadier Tim: thank you for all your wisdom, commitment and effort.  Best wishes for the future.

I also wish to acknowledge my colleague, Minister of Defence Hon Dr Wayne Mapp who - like me - has served as a Territorial soldier.  It was he who brought the genesis of what is now the Volunteers Employment Protection Act (2004) to Parliament as a Private Member's Bill in 2000.  We are both committed to the ongoing redevelopment of a strong, vibrant and relevant Reserve focus for the New Zealand Defence Force.  We view the history and ancestry of the Reserves, as it is now represented in the Naval Reserve ships, the six Territorial Battalions and the elements of the Territorial Air Force as taonga.  Their battle honours, which represent events that shaped this nation, were won by those units long before large standing forces were contemplated and we will be doing our utmost to ensure that those units, their colours and standards are passed on as living treasures to subsequent generations.

As a consequence of the changes that Dr Mapp began nine years ago, we now have the Territorial Forces Employer Support Council.  The TFESC has played a key role in communicating and liaising with employers and employer groups since its inception.  Under the guidance of Chairman John Allen, the Council has put significant effort into informing employers about the value that they gain from encouraging their employees to serve in the Armed Forces.  My thanks go to every member of the Council, past and present, who has given their time and experience to further this cause on behalf of our country.

Leadership is one of the most studied and also least understood talents.  In the corporate world, the terms leadership and management are often used interchangeably.  A cadet once asked a veteran instructor what the difference between the two was.  After a moment's reflection, the Sergeant Major replied, "That's easy son - you can lead a man to his death but you can't manage him there."

That is why this award ceremony is so important.  As the heads of your respective organisations, your management ability is unquestioned.  Tonight, you are here because you are leaders.  You have led by example and have chosen a tougher path - one that involved making sacrifices in your organisations for a greater good.  All the employers here tonight - and many more that are not - have gone beyond what the law required them to do, in order to help New Zealand play its role in the world, and to keep Kiwis safe.

In recent years, Reserve Force soldiers have consistently made up 10 percent of overseas deployments.  In the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands, Reserves make up the majority of the platoon-sized group which is currently into its ninth rotation.  Others are serving in Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, Sudan, Korea and the Sinai.

In mid-March this year 11 employers witnessed, firsthand, the contribution made by their employees through visiting the RAMSI mission in the Solomon Islands.  The comments of those that went on 'Exercise Boss Lift' indicate that the experience reinforced, for them, the value of the choices that they had made in assisting their respective staff members.

Service personnel face many challenges and I couldn't speak about civilian or military employment without mentioning families.  It is impossible to understate the importance of support from the home front.  Last week, I was briefed on a Canadian initiative involving Family Resource Centres around their country that supports spouses and children of deployed personnel.  They are run as public/private partnerships between the Canadian Forces and other entities.  I believe that this concept has merit - not only for Defence, but for the wider commercial sector as more couples and single parents are forced to juggle work and family commitments and employment is no longer just nine-five Monday-Friday.

In my view every employer, large or small, who supports New Zealand society - be it through encouraging staff in the Forces or via scholarships, donations or community events - is a leader and worthy of our acknowledgement.  This evening we have the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the specific commitment of six employers who have gone, as James Flecker wrote, "Always a little further" on behalf of New Zealand's Defence Forces.  To you and all those like you - thank you - on behalf of a grateful nation.