Budget 2023: Massive Defence spend to see personnel receive ‘biggest pay increase in over a decade’
The Government is hoping to address attrition in the Defence Force with a major pre-Budget funding announcement that will deliver the “biggest pay increase in over a decade” for personnel.
As Newshub has previously reported, personnel are leaving New Zealand’s Defence Force in droves and Defence Minister Andrew Little has called retention his “number one priority”.
Little on Monday announced a $419 million boost to Defence’s payroll, with personnel expected to receive pay increases of between $4000 and $15,000 depending on their rank, role and service branch. This will start from July 1.
This money will pay soldiers more and hope to keep them in the military which is fine and dandy, but this doesn’t in any way shape or form prepare NZ for the military challenges in front of us.
We need to increase Military GDP spending to 3%. Interestingly Labour have quietly ratcheted GDP military spending from just over 1% to just under 2%.
I believe that the climate crisis means we need a vastly larger military to cope with civil disasters and if we are attempting to distance ourselves from China and America, we need to make a decision to dramatically lift what we spend on the military for purely defensive capacity.
How would we go about defending the realm of NZ and all our economic exclusive zone?
“We will no longer be a political football in the wars of imperial powers. We will no longer act as a Pacific spy base for the Five-Eyes Alliance”
…this is an intelligent proposal and alongside our independent foreign policy should be the bindings of a strong national identity.
On ANZAC Day, while we remember those who fought and died, we also remember conscientious objectors, diplomats, activists, artists and all who have worked to prevent war and save lives.
As the drumbeat for war slowly echoes across the Pacific, we need collective courage for Peace first and self defence second like never before.
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A very small step in the right direction but nowhere near enough, especially as low pay is embedded in the publics perception of the military, which will make recruiting very difficult. And there appears no pathway to ensure pay rates keep rising.
Orions retired early and patrol vessels sold off because no one could man them is especially poor management by this government, and the previous. That and driving staff out by using them in the MIQ’s!
Drones, fighter jets and frigates is basically a dollar for dollar compromise. For a billion dollars you’ll get about 4 drones, or 6 fighters or 1 frigate. In the Maritime patrol domain is rather have fighters and drones because of increased utility. Drones can’t board ships or or keep enemy ships and aircraft occupied.
With fighter jets they don’t really have to fight. Say you’ve got a friendly platoon of soliders conducting operations against an enemy force, our fighters can keep enemy ships and aircraft busy while they use up all thier petrol. It’s a long way from home.
Bring back ANZUS.
The spending is actually 1.5% of GDP. This is an increase from the 1.0% pre 2018 recorded by the Treasury. But the reason was due to a change in accounting processes, basically including the capital spent as part of the annual spend. This brings our treatment of defence spending in line with NATO. Prior to 2018, only a capital charge was included (7% of the capital), not the actual capital.
We were doing ourselves a disservice compared to other nations which use the NATO system of accounting for defence expenditure. In short, since 2000 we have been spending 1.5% on the NATO measure, not the 1.0% of Treasury. In the 1990’s, when we had the Skyhawks, it was 2.0% on the NATO measure.
I think there is a case to increase to 2.0%, but not 3%. I will leave the reasons to another comment. For those interested go to Line of Defence for my articles on this.
I think it’s a mistake to focus on one enemy as some sort of sales pitch (excuse the pun).
We don’t know who’s going to attack us. It could be some lone wolf for all we know.
When the Australian Keating government back in the 90’s was issuing it’s defence white paper China was a no body. Yes they could field massive divisions but that was it. They had no ships or airforce.
Who knows America could break out onto a civil war for all we know.
We get to choose who the Leader of the military is voting is no game. The Ukraine War proves that every western leader can’t do anything. Leaders of the military they are not.
The winner of the Ukraine war will be in the lead of the rules based order and New Zealand is a fucking nobody.
The Ukraine war proves the effectiveness of man portable anti tank missiles and anti air missiles, drones and big bloody artillery we need more of them. Frigates corvettes and fighters. 5% ought to be the goal.
So, defense spending has quietly increased in recent times and now it needs to be increased by half as much again – during this current dire era of rising costs, economic volatility and poorly funded public services, namely healthcare. This is just slapping the NZ public in the face with callous disregard, as our government simply follows the dictates of our unofficial leader, the USA, by beefing up military spending at their insistence. Meanwhile, no push back from the opposition, no push back from the media and no say from the New Zealand public – this is why I believe our political system, ditto the entire West, is broken.
We need to fight alright, but it is not only for peace, we need to fight to help correct the broken political system…
Ron Mark the only recent defense minister who new what he was doing and what was required.
There is no way the U.S. would allow this to happen without intervention. Trying to save N.S.A. Ironsand Station in Marlborough would surely be reason enough to launch some sort of regime change operation, not to mention any military plans related to the coming Sino-American War (the nuclear ban can’t last long?).
It would be an interesting exercise to try and list out the major military hardware purchases that would be required to defend the country on your own. (Any ideas, Wayne?)
A lot of left peaceniks don’t seem to understand that the other reforms they ask for are meaningless without a strong military (and probably compulsory military service). They won’t last long if someone can simply ride into town and blow your new government away.
A Defence Force that costs around 2% of GDP would have the following:
An Army of 6,000 (up 20% from present). An Airforce with 6 P8 Poseidon (up 2), 6 C130 (up 1), 18 NH90 helicopters (double the present) and ideally 2 C17 (we were offered two around 2014/2015). The Navy would have 3 frigates and 2 patrol ships (all with a common hull), and 2 multirole ships (similar but superior to HMNZS Canterbury), plus the Aotearoa. All this would mean an overall 25% increase in the size of the Defence Forc. This would cost 2% of GDP instead of the current 1.5% of GDP.
New Zealand would then have a very capable Defence Force, able to cover any reasonably foreseeable contingency, including civil disasters, in New Zealand and the South Pacific. It would also be a serious contribution to the overall capability of both Australia and New Zealand. I know that does not matter to some commenters here, in fact they actively oppose the security relationship with Australia. However, Australia is New Zealand’s only formal ally, and I can’t see that changing. Unless of course a future government has the Green Party as the lead party in government, but even they might think twice before severing a large part of our economic, social and security ties with Australia.
I don’t think anyone appreciates the effect drones have on the battlefield. I’ve seen countless videos of Ukrainian soldiers using fifty dollar drones taking out maint battle tanks, freaking tanks! $100 vs 2 million.
The CV90 infantry fighting vehicle is by far and away the most effective counter to drones. It has the gun, radar, communications and self defence to take out drones. Get some of those.
We will be forced by the collapse of Globalism and USA as protector of trade routes, into dependency on Australia and USA throwing us an economic lifeline.
While the increase in funds is warrented and much needed it is a pity Little was not so vocal in support of medical workers .
Labour ruined the armed forces attraction by using them as security guards at MIQ facilities let’s hope this pay rise attracts some back .
Why wasn’t defense force and medical workers salaries and infrastructure increased year on year prior to Labour and Little taking office?
The military were looked after but for some reason medical workers and education suffered a lack of attention by Nationals final years .Perhaps it was due to poor ministers but I feel that National have learnt the lessons and hopefully if elected this time will not make the same mistakes .
Would be interesting to know what percentage of said attrition was due to mandating out .
Good things take time @Martyn, and every little bit helps (said the old public service CEO/Snr line manager dowager as she/her spat into the ocean).
Ron and Wayne seem appreciative. WHY CAN’T YOU, you bloody raving radical. If you’re not careful, someone might call for an EY inquiry.
Incrementalism – the art of doing as little as possible to try and keep the natives under control, usually using spin and bullshit.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, especially when there is a raft of bureaucrats and their hangers-on to keep satisfied
Looking back to WW1 we had a very small regular force but a very big territorial reserve force that was capable of being called up in case of crisis, and our training system was designed to provide replacements and reinforcements for our division for 5 years (the war lasted 4) so really having a strong reserve that regularly is called back for updated training is the economical way to go. In ww2 we mostly learned on the job. In both wars, the apart from our rifles the gear we trained with was not what we primarily fought with, all the major weapon systems were replaced as the wars progressed as they would be in another major war.
We only need the basics for self defence with good training and command. But we need the ability to expand rapidly if the need arises either for disaster operations or regional security. The future is having a good on call reserve force.
WW2 military technology was relatively simple to mass produce. We went from nothing to a full on invasion force in five years. You can’t build a battle ship in five years anymore. The reaserch in R&D is expensive and the development bit is even more expensive with modern money but that is the price we have to pay to make war so expensive only a lunatic would take us on.
You are dreaming if you think increasing defense spending will ever deter or defeat a determined invader in the modern world, and in particular, any nation that is of a size and capability of being remotely successful.
What would you know about defeating an invasion force?
Regardless how much money NZ spends on defence, it won’t matter against China or the US (or even Australia) if they decide to invade. Spending zero vs 10% of GDP makes no difference other than the latter gives sweet NZ tax payer cheddar for overseas defence contractors for no actual gain. A US style 2nd Amendment for NZ (i.e. an armed population) would work as a clear deterrent – but after Christchurch (and the Govt’s response to it) that is presumably no longer on the table.
China isn’t planning on invading anyone. That’s not there goal. They want there coastline clear so they can develop the other way towards the Stan nations and down through India and the African continent. That’s what the new cold war is dead set against. Modernising Africa is to good for them. The western racket of the third world is just to profitable to let go.
A lot of great ideas from many – fascinated with a few.
Really think Govt should explore Mince on Toast more.
Meanwhile totally respect saveNZ’s stance.
No. The battlefield has changed. Drones aren’t very good for them identifing and prosecuting enemy ships and planes unless you have a swarm the logistical tail of which a country as remote as New Zealand could not secure an everwhelming advantage in this area.
No drones are one of the most lethal weapons in the world for taking out infantry dismounts and light armoured vehicles.
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