Select Committee Report out today. “There is no room for isolationists in the Defence debate” says National MP, Annabel Young. “I am disappointed that in their Majority report, the ACT, Alliance, Labour and New Zealand First MPs have chosen to ignore the lessons of the past. If we do not learn from the past we will repeat it and the price will be New Zealand lives.”

“The Opposition members have produced a long, discursive and confused report that would have the New Zealand Armed Forces acting as the Latrine Patrol for the Australian Army. They can call this a “niche force” but I call it shameful.”

Annabel Young said New Zealand needs a balanced Armed Force because it is impossible to accurately predict the next war. “The lesson of world War II is that we need to be flexible and ready. I do not think that we should focus on the Army to the exclusion of the navy and the Air Force. What if the next conflict is protecting sea-lanes – we would need the Navy and the Air Force then. We should learn the lessons of Kosovo and the Gulf.”

“The Government position is clear. The Labour/Alliance/ACT/NZ First position is unclear because they could only get consensus by fudging the issues.”

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