Minister and CDF receive SSC report

Defence Minister Mark Burton and the Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Carey Adamson have this afternoon received the report they jointly commissioned from the State Services Commissioner.

The State Services Commissioner was asked, under section 11(4) of the State Sector act, to "review the performance of the New Zealand Defence Force in relation to standards of behaviour and in particular the leaking and inappropriate use of information by Defence Force personnel."

The State Services Commissioner appointed Douglas White QC and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Graham Ansell to carry out the review.

"Air Marshall Adamson and I received the 100-page report this afternoon," Mark Burton said. "We will consider the report and its findings over Christmas and anticipate that we will be in a position to publicly release the document next week.

"I have also received this afternoon an initial report from Don Hunn, who is conducting an overarching review of the accountabilities and structural arrangements between the Ministry of Defence, the New Zealand Defence Force, and the three service arms.

"The findings of the SSC inquiry will feed into his review, which is due for completion in February," Mark Burton said.