Support For Armed Forces Strong

Seventy percent of New Zealanders want a strong and effective national armed force, according to an annual UMR-Insight poll released today by Defence Minister Max Bradford.

"Support for New Zealand involvement in United Nations peacekeeping operations rates even higher with our people, " Mr Bradford said. "Nearly 80 percent of those polled want our forces actively contributing to the maintenance of international peace and order.

"As Minister of Defence I am encouraged by these figures. They reflect a growing maturity among New Zealanders towards the need for an effective Defence Force and our obligations to international peace and stability."

Mr Bradford said the poll also asked how important the security of particular countries or regions was to New Zealand. Not surprisingly, Australia was ranked first at 90 percent, followed by the South Pacific at 83 percent and South East Asia at 77 percent.

"The results obviously reflect the fact that Australia is our main trading partner and our main alliance partner. We know that any military threat to Australia would be a threat to New Zealand, and vice versa," Mr Bradford.

"The security of the other two regions is also important to ours. Over 60 percent of our trade is now done with the Asia-Pacific region, and any instability there could have devastating effects on New Zealand's economic interests in the area."

Mr Bradford said it was also very significant that support for strong and effective armed forces is high among those under 30 years.

In the 1996 survey, 56 percent of New Zealanders under 30 considered it "very" or "fairly important" for New Zealand to have an effective Defence Force. This year the figure is 67 percent.

"The Cold War may have ended but the world remains a volatile and unpredictable place, and the poll shows that our young people are becoming increasingly aware of that fact," he said.

"If New Zealand is to able to meet its UN peacekeeping obligations and make a credible contribution to regional security it must have a well-trained and equipped Defence Force.

"The poll results consistently tell us that New Zealanders want such a force."