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The New Zealand Defence Force is assisting the upcoming June election in Papua New Guinea, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman announced today.

“Following a request from the PNG government, New Zealand will support the local authorities in the delivery of a safe, free and fair election by providing logistical support and observers,” Mr McCully says.

“We will work alongside the Australian Defence Force which is also assisting in the election process.”

State Services Minister Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman has welcomed the passing of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Amendment Bill, the Mental Health Commission Bill and the Charities Amendment Bill (No 2) into law.

The three Bills, which until recently formed collectively the Crown Entity Reform Bill, brings structural changes to government health and charitable agencies from 1 July 2012.

The New Zealand Defence Force is to retain about $142 million a year in operating savings it has freed up to improve its military capability, delivering on the Government’s promise in the Defence White Paper.

The 2010 Defence White Paper signalled that existing Defence Force resources should be redistributed to deliver a well-equipped and modern Defence Force.

By 2014/15, the Defence Force will identify $350 million to $400 million a year in ongoing operating savings that will be retained for redistribution to frontline capabilities.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced further support for international efforts in Syria, including an offer to deploy additional military observers.

New Zealand has offered the UN’s Supervision Mission in Syria a team of five New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel. Should the offer be accepted, the team will replace two NZDF personnel temporarily redeployed to the mission.

Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith and New Zealand Minister of Defence Dr Jonathan Coleman today reaffirmed their commitment to ANZAC Defence cooperation with the release of the Review into the Australia-New Zealand Defence Relationship.

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Close security cooperation continues to this day with combined operations in the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

The Minister of Defence says tomorrow’s Anzac Day commemorations will acknowledge the courage and sacrifices forged by New Zealand and Australian defence staff stretching from Gallipoli 97 years ago to the present day.

This is Dr Coleman’s first Anzac Day as the Minister of Defence and he is especially focused on the ANZAC legacy and the link to the men and women serving New Zealand today.

The Minister of Defence has confirmed two New Zealand Defence Force staff are being offered to the UN Mission in Syria.

The United Nations made an urgent request last week for New Zealand and other countries to consider the immediate and temporary redeployment of UN Military Observers currently deployed with the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) in the Middle East to join an advance UN monitoring team of up to 30 personnel in Syria.

The Government has today confirmed its plans to establish the new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on 1 July this year.

The Ministry will bring together the existing functions of the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Department of Labour and Department of Building and Housing.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says the new Ministry will assist the Government drive forward its business growth agenda and make it easier for businesses to engage with the Government.

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson and Associate Finance Minister Jonathan Coleman have approved the new recommendation of the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) to grant consent to Milk New Zealand Holding Limited to acquire the 16 Crafar farms.

“New Zealand has a transparent set of laws and regulations around overseas investment,” Mr Williamson says.

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman has announced that the New Zealand Defence Force is hosting United States military personnel in an exercise to be held in the central North Island later this month.

35 US Marines and 41 US Army personnel will participate alongside New Zealand forces in Exercise Alam Halfa starting on 26 April.

The US personnel will exercise with members of the New Zealand Army's 1st Brigade.

The Minister of Defence, Dr Jonathan Coleman, says he is saddened to learn of the death today of a New Zealand soldier serving with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan.

The death was not the result of a combat operation and does not appear to involve the actions of another party.

The government offers its condolences to the man’s family and loved ones.

Dr Coleman says the New Zealand Defence Force will provide more information tomorrow.

The Minister says an appropriate investigation will be held into the matter.

The Minister of Defence, Dr Jonathan Coleman, today formally acknowledged the contribution of the New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment in Afghanistan as the two-and-half year deployment comes to an end.

The NZSAS were posted to Afghanistan in September 2009 – the fourth deployment of the unit to Afghanistan. This current mission officially ceased on 31 March, 2012.

“The New Zealand Government deployed NZ Defence Force personnel to Afghanistan to help ensure Al Qaeda could not maintain safe havens in Afghanistan from which to plan further attacks.”

The 10 results set by the Prime Minister for the public sector over the next three to five years focus on some of the biggest challenges facing New Zealand, Finance Minister Bill English and State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman say.

The results will cover five themes:

The Government has reset the cap on core government administration staff at 36,475 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, State Services Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says.

The Minister of Defence, Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman, has formally thanked the RNZAF for its 75 years of service to New Zealand.

A function in Parliament tonight was the first event to commemorate the 75 years since the RNZAF became an independent armed service.

“It has been 75 years of a job well done and worthy of recognition,” said Dr Coleman.

“Throughout its history the RNZAF has contributed to the maintenance of peace; either through allied contributions in wartime, or to peacekeeping throughout the world.”

Defence Minister, Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman, is spending today and tomorrow visiting several New Zealand Defence Force bases.

The base visits allow him to meet personnel of different ranks, meet different units, and be briefed on the capabilities of assorted defence equipment.

The Minister is visiting the Ohakea Air Force base this morning, the Linton Army Camp this afternoon, and the Burnham Army Camp tomorrow.

Tomorrow evening Dr Coleman will also speak at the 75th anniversary of the RNZAF function being held at the Beehive.

The Defence Minister, Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman, officially welcomed the first of the Air Force’s new medium utility NH90 helicopters at an event in Wellington today.

The NH90 helicopters will be the most advanced and capable helicopter the Air Force has ever had,” said Dr Coleman.

“The NH90s will considerably improve the Defence Force’s ability to conduct military, counter-terrorism, disaster relief, search and rescue, and other operations,” he said.

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson and Associate Finance Minister Jonathan Coleman said today’s High Court judgment on the judicial review of Shanghai Pengxin’s bid to acquire the 16 Crafar farms provides a new judicial interpretation of complex legislation.

The High Court considered the case on two grounds. These were:

A ceremony to rebury the remains of a New Zealand soldier was held at Messines Ridge British Cemetery near Ieper, Belgium on Friday 3 February.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defence, Dr Jonathan Coleman, the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Rhys Jones, the Secretary of Defence, John McKinnon, the New Zealand Ambassador (Belgium), Vangelis Vitalis, and the Head of Defence Staff, New Zealand High Commission Brigadier Antony (Lofty) Hayward.

Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith today met with New Zealand’s newly appointed Minister of Defence Dr Jonathan Coleman for the Ministers’ first formal bilateral meeting.

The meeting was held in Melbourne in conjunction with the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting between Prime Ministers and senior Cabinet Ministers today.

The Ministers announced a new Australia-New Zealand Defence Relationship Framework, which builds on the ANZAC tradition and the longstanding comprehensive defence relationship between Australia and New Zealand.

The Minister of Defence is attending defence talks in Europe next week after the bilateral meeting with the Australian Defence Minister and attending the joint Australian New Zealand Cabinet meeting in Melbourne this weekend.

On Sunday evening Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman will travel to London to meet defence leaders and to hold talks related to his State Services portfolio.

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson and Associate Minister of Finance Dr Jonathan Coleman have accepted the recommendation of the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) to grant consent to Milk New Zealand Holding Limited (Milk New Zealand), a subsidiary of Shanghai Pengxin Group Co. Limited, to acquire the 16 Crafar farms.

"It is clear that all criteria under sections 16 and 18 of the Overseas Investment Act 2005 have been met, therefore we accept the recommendation of the OIO to grant consent," Mr Williamson said.

The NZ Defence Force is joining an international partnership to give it guaranteed satellite communications for the next 20 years, Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman announced today.

“This gives a significant boost to our forces’ capacity both at home and overseas,” said Dr Coleman.

“It will increase our access to satellite broadband more than twenty-fold, with guaranteed access and at a fixed price, ensuring better value for money.”

The Australian and New Zealand Defence Ministers held talks on the Australia-New Zealand bilateral defence relationship over the weekend.