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Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman departs for Viet Nam and China this weekend for a series of meetings with his ministerial counterparts and defence officials.

“New Zealand engages with a wide range of defence partners in the Asia-Pacific region, co-operating on matters of common interest,” says Dr Coleman.

“A good example of this co-operation is Exercise Phoenix Spirit, which was held in New Zealand in August, where NZDF, Australian, US and Chinese personnel worked through humanitarian assistance and disaster relief scenarios.

Phil Goff continues to mislead the New Zealand public on the state of the New Zealand Defence Force, says Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman.

“On the back of today’s Select Committee hearing on defence, Mr Goff has painted a misleading picture on the state of the NZDF,” says Dr Coleman.

“He is completely distorting the Chief of Defence Force’s words when he claims that the CDF says it will take seven years for the NZDF to ‘recover from the damage done to it in the last couple of years’.

A RNZAF Hercules C-130 which left New Zealand on Thursday has delivered key emergency aid equipment and food to the battered cities of Tacloban and Ormoc and the town of Guiuan.

The Hercules was the first C-130 to land at Ormoc since Typhoon Haiyan hit the region. Crew unloaded the cargo of World Food Programme stocks, and then 126 Filipino evacuees were transported to Cebu.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman is today visiting Exercise Southern Katipo in Timaru.

“Exercise Southern Katipo is a significant exercise for the NZDF,” says Dr Coleman. “It is the largest ever international exercise held in New Zealand with up to 2,200 military personnel taking part, including personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Malaysia, PNG, Singapore, Tonga, UK and US.”

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says Navy frigate HMNZS Te Mana has departed Darwin today for counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman told the Defence Industry Association annual conference today that the Government remains committed to a sustainable and affordable future Defence Force out to 2030.

“The Government inherited a substantial long term funding gap in defence, and the 2010 Defence White Paper signalled that new money would be required over time to maintain and improve NZDF capabilities,” says Dr Coleman.

It’s great to be addressing the New Zealand Defence Industry Association today. Since we met back in March at your quarterly meeting, a lot has happened in defence in the last eight months.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman and US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel have agreed to extend co-operation on peacekeeping initiatives. 

“Our defence relationship with the US is in great shape, and provides a strong platform for working closely together in the future,” says Dr Coleman.

“We have agreed to expand our co-operation on peacekeeping training initiatives. We will be looking for opportunities to support our Asia-Pacific partners to build the capacity of their peacekeeping forces.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says this incident highlights the reality of operations in Afghanistan.

"The work our personnel undertake in Afghanistan is dangerous. Our people are well trained and are prepared to respond to a range of situations," says Dr Coleman.

"While we have a preliminary understanding of what occurred, there will be an investigation into this incident.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman will travel to Washington this weekend for bilateral talks with US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Monday.

“New Zealand’s defence relationship with the United States is in great shape. I’m looking forward to discussing with Secretary Hagel how we can build on the achievements made in the last year,” says Dr Coleman.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman and Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges welcome the start of operations to re-enter Pike River Coal Mine’s main tunnel up to the rock fall.

“The Government has been working closely with Solid Energy to ensure the re-entry plan can be safely carried out. Safety is paramount, and the project will be carefully managed with a risk assessment undertaken at each stage,” says Mr Bridges.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman today met with senior Chinese military chief General Zhao Keshi, member of the Central Military Commission and Director of the General Logistics Department.

“It is great to welcome General Zhao to New Zealand. He is the most senior Chinese official to visit this year across government, and the most senior People’s Liberation Army visitor since 2010,” says Dr Coleman.

“New Zealand engages with a wide range of defence partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman and Police Minister Anne Tolley welcome the introduction of new meritorious service medals to recognise outstanding service by personnel in the NZ Defence Force and NZ Police.

“We have some great people in the Defence Force, and it is important to recognise and reward outstanding service,” says Dr Coleman.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman welcomes the visit by a Chinese Navy Task Force, and says it reflects New Zealand’s wider engagement with defence partners from the Asia-Pacific region.

“It is in New Zealand’s interests to promote greater levels of engagement with a wide range of defence partners. This visit fits into our wider regional engagement programme,” says Dr Coleman.

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman are holding talks this week with visiting UK Minister for International Security Strategy, Dr Andrew Murrison.

“As the UK’s Special Representative for the Centenary Commemoration of the First World War, Dr Murrison’s visit to New Zealand is a good opportunity to discuss the commemoration programme,” says Mr Finlayson.

Labour is not playing straight on safety in the Defence Force, says Defence Minister, Jonathan Coleman.

“The fact is Labour did nothing to address safety issues in Defence during its time in office.

“Sadly there were 8 accidental deaths in Defence over the past 5 years, and 8 deaths in the 5 years prior to that period. One death is one too many.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman welcomes today’s release of the external review of health and safety in the New Zealand Defence Force.

"I expect health and safety to be a top priority for the NZDF. It is crucial our people operate in an environment where the proper safety procedures are followed,” says Dr Coleman.

“I asked the NZDF to commission an external review to address questions raised around the culture of health and safety. Avoidable deaths are not acceptable.”

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says the NZ Army is co-hosting a major gathering of top Army personnel from 29 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

“For the first time in over 20 years, the NZ Army is co-hosting a major event on the Pacific Armies calendar,” says Dr Coleman. “The NZ Army has a good working relationship with the US Army, and it is great that New Zealand was asked to co-host this event with the US.”

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman today congratulated the New Zealand Defence Force on the recognition it received at the ANZ and EEO Trust Diversity Awards.

The NZDF’s support structure for LGBTIQ staff, Operation OverWatch, picked up the supreme award and the NZDF/MSD Youth Development Unit received a highly commended award for its residential course.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman is joining his counterparts at the second ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Brunei, a key security forum bringing together the ten ASEAN nations and regional partners. 

“New Zealand has an important stake in the security of the Asia-Pacific region. The ADMM-Plus provides a key opportunity to develop practical cooperation and strengthen relationships within the region,” says Dr Coleman.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has met with Australian, US and Chinese participants who are taking part in Exercise Phoenix Spirit, a NZ hosted defence planning exercise in Christchurch.

“This is the first time that Australia, the United States and China are contributing to a humanitarian disaster relief planning exercise in New Zealand,” says Dr Coleman.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has met with participants taking part in a defence multinational and interagency planning exercise based on a major earthquake disaster in Wellington.

“Given the recent earthquakes in Wellington which have naturally unsettled people, it is very timely that this exercise is taking place,” says Dr Coleman.

I’d like to begin by thanking our hosts IPANZ and Deloitte for bringing together senior public servants, partners from across the public and private sectors, and many of you who took the time to help shape this new Act.

An article in the Sunday Star Times by Nicky Hager made two main allegations against the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

The article alleges that the NZDF had copies of journalist Jon Stephenson’s phone metadata in Afghanistan.

“The Defence Force has assured me that this is not something that they would regard as a legitimate practice. I would be most concerned if this had occurred,” says Dr Coleman.