Search

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman and Police Minister Anne Tolley joined the Prime Minister John Key at today’s celebrations to mark the tenth anniversary of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

“New Zealand has made a significant contribution to security and stability in Solomon Islands through RAMSI, a partnership of Pacific nations established a decade ago,” says Dr Coleman.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says New Zealand is continuing to strengthen practical cooperation with its international partners as we develop our amphibious capabilities.

“At last year’s annual Australia-New Zealand Defence Ministers meeting we agreed to further develop our practical cooperation,” Dr Coleman says.

“The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is sending observers to Exercise Talisman Saber 2013, one of Australia’s major biennial exercises, to further develop our amphibious capability.

The State Sector and Public Finance Reform Bill passed its Third Reading in Parliament today.

State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman says the legislation represents the biggest transformation to the public service in a generation.

“This legislation gives the public service new tools and increased flexibility to drive forward change,” Dr Coleman says.

The Government is delivering better public services while at the same time ensuring taxpayers receive better value from the many billions of dollars invested in them, State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“We are co-ordinating efforts across departments in areas such as procurement, ICT and property management. Taxpayer money freed up by more efficient approaches is being put to better use elsewhere,” he says.

Government agencies are making good progress across the 10 Better Public Services results to address some of New Zealand’s most challenging issues, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman say.

The Government today issued the first progress report on the results and the measurable targets sitting under them. Ministers have also agreed to set up a $20 million a year seed fund over four years to support government agencies as they work towards meeting their targets.

Associate Minister of Finance Jonathan Coleman is representing New Zealand at this week’s Pacific Island Forum Economic Ministers Meeting in Tonga.

“It is an important opportunity to discuss the economic development issues facing the Pacific,” Dr Coleman says.

“The Forum Economic Ministers Meeting is a chance for Finance Ministers to share experiences and develop collective responses to wider issues of economic growth and regional integration.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman welcomes today’s dedication and unveiling of three new commemorative plaques for Defence Force operations.

“It is appropriate that Parliament pays tribute to the 20,000 New Zealanders who served their country in Afghanistan, Timor-Leste and other missions in more than 40 countries around the world since the 1950s,” Dr Coleman says.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman have paid tribute to members of the New Zealand Defence Force for their dedicated service to Christchurch on the eve of their longest ever domestic deployment.

“Tomorrow afternoon around 120 members of the Army, Navy and Air Force will be thanked in person by Prime Minister John Key for their duty to Christchurch,” Mr Brownlee says.

State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman announced today that State Services Commissioner, Iain Rennie, has been reappointed for a three-year term.

“Iain Rennie is leading the public service through a period of significant change,” Dr Coleman says.

“His reappointment reflects the need for sustained and focused leadership as the government delivers its Better Public Services programme.

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman welcomes a new defence agreement with Timor-Leste, which reflects the strong ties between the two countries.

“This agreement signifies how our bilateral relationship has matured, and it builds on the close working relationship between the NZ Defence Force (NZDF) and the Falintil Forcas de Defesa Timor-Leste (F-FDTL),” Dr Coleman says.

Gross domestic product data for the March quarter shows the New Zealand economy continues to grow despite the impact of the nationwide drought.

“This confirms New Zealand is on the right track, in line with Budget forecasts of economic growth, more jobs, rising wages and a return to fiscal surplus in 2014/15,” Associate Minister of Finance Jonathan Coleman says.

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman welcomes today’s presentation of New Zealand operational medals to the 30 Afghan interpreters who have resettled in New Zealand.

“I am very pleased that our Afghan interpreters who served with our troops and police in the NZ Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) in Bamyan are being awarded these medals today,” says Dr Coleman.

“As New Zealand residents, it is appropriate that they receive the same medallic recognition as the New Zealand Defence Force and New Zealand Police personnel they served alongside.

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman welcomes the release of the Defence Force’s Court of Inquiry into two incidents in August 2012 where five soldiers lost their lives in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.

“Losing five of our soldiers in Afghanistan in August last year was a very tragic and difficult time for the Defence Force and for New Zealand,” says Dr Coleman.

“Today’s release of the inquiry will be difficult for the families who continue to mourn their loved ones.

Relocating government agencies back into the Christchurch CBD is a step closer says Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman.

“The public sector will be locating facilities in the heart of the city as an integral part of delivering the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan,” Mr Brownlee says.

“Moving government agencies back into the CBD is part of the government’s commitment to the revitalisation of Christchurch.”

State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman and Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain expect the public sector to put a much stronger focus on privacy and security, following the release of a review of the Government’s ICT systems today.

The Government Chief Information Officer (GCIO) Colin MacDonald has published a review of the Government’s publicly accessible ICT systems such as kiosks, wi-fi networks and web services.

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman welcomes two new UK awards for service in Bomber Command and the Arctic Circle during World War II.

13 Bomber Command Clasps and an Arctic Star are being presented today to a group of Kiwi veterans at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Hall of Memories at an event organised by the Bomber Command Association.

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman is attending the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend.

Dr Coleman will hold a range of meetings with his counterparts from around the world. He will meet US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and a range of Defence Ministers from Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, the UK, France and Canada.

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the New Zealand Defence Force is improving its military capability in this year’s budget as it realises the benefits from the annual savings it has achieved.

“In the year to July 2013 the NZDF will deliver $190 million dollars in savings after achieving $140 million dollars in the year prior,” said Dr Coleman.

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman today announced the purchase of 200 new trucks for the New Zealand Defence Force.

In a $135 million project, the government is purchasing Rheinmetall- MAN military vehicles to replace the old NZDF Unimog and heavier Mercedes trucks.

“The new NZDF medium and heavy trucks will carry more people and equipment, and will be fitted with armour and weapons to protect the crew, allowing them to function effectively in modern military environments,” said Dr Coleman.

Defence Minister, Dr Jonathan Coleman, says the New Zealand Defence Force will conduct a series of deployments to assist the international anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.

“Later this year the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Mana will join the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), which is the multinational task group designed to combat piracy in the region,” said Dr Coleman.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the invitation to be here, it’s always great to be out of the Beehive.

I often say to the Treasury officials – when are they going to start delivering me some better work stories? And I point across to my Defence officials who in the past 18 months have delivered better work stories in the form of trips to Afghanistan, all sorts of exciting transport modes, and more recently a very special visit to Gallipoli for ANZAC Day.

Labour MP, Phil Goff, has breached a Coroner's suppression order relating to the non-combat death of a soldier in Afghanistan says Defence Minister, Dr Jonathan Coleman.

"Mr Goff has tonight publicly released pages from a Court of Inquiry report into the death of a soldier in Afghanistan that is subject to a Coroner’s Court suppression order. He needs to explain why he's attached these pages to a press release in defiance of the Coroner's explicit instruction,” said Dr Coleman.

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga, Lord Tu’ivakano, and Defence Minister, Dr Jonathan Coleman, have signed a treaty-level agreement that will build the relationship between the Tonga Defence Service (TDS) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman is meeting his Trans-Tasman counterpart, Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith in Auckland this evening.

The two Ministers are holding a bilateral discussions before they both depart tomorrow to attend the inaugural South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting being held in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.