Documents Relating to Action on Defence Policies Since 2017 General Election
Simon Ewing-Jarvie made this Official Information request to Ron Mark
The request was partially successful.
From: Simon Ewing-Jarvie
Dear Ron Mark,
I request copies of all documents over the period since 23 September 2017, whether digital or hard copy, including but not limited to notes, drafts, briefings, requests, minutes of meetings and phone/video logs relating to the following subjects:
1. Re-establishment of an air combat force for NZ.
2. Establishment of a Coastguard as a sub-service of the RNZ Navy, whether armed or not.
3. Improved pay and conditions for service personnel.
4. Establishment of an independent Armed Forces Remuneration Board.
5. Improving resourcing for Territorial and Reserve Forces.
6. Better integration of NZDF and civil defence.
7. Withdrawal of NZ from the Five Power Defence Arrangement or the UK/USA Signals Intelligence Agreement known as Five Eyes.
8. Review of structure and governance of NZDF with a view to full or part civilianisation of some functions and roles.
9. Development of a centre for the training of international peacekeepers in NZ.
10. Phasing out of the ANZAC frigates.
11. Remove or non-installation of anti-submarine warfare or other offensive capabilities on current or future maritime surveillance aircraft.
12. Increased use of training simulators within NZDF to minimise environmental impact.
13. Exemption from income tax for service personnel deployed on operations overseas.
14. Extension of Reserve Forces and Reserve training to a wider section of the NZ population.
15. Development of civilian-based defence employing techniques such as training to resist aggression and active non-cooperation.
I am a New Zealand citizen.
Yours faithfully,
Simon Ewing-Jarvie
From: Libby Kemp
Dear Simon
Please find attached an acknowledgement receipts of your official information requested dated 2 July 2018.
Regards
Libby Kemp | Acting Private Secretary (Executive Support) Office of Hon Ron Mark MP | New Zealand First
Ministerial Portfolios:Defence | Veterans Affairs
New Zealand Parliament | Pāremata Aotearoa
E [email address]
A Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings| Wellington 6160 | New Zealand
This email communication is confidential between the sender and the recipient. The intended recipient may not distribute it without the permission of the sender. If this email is received in error, it remains confidential and you may not copy, retain or distribute it in any manner. Please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of the message and all attachments. Thank you.
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From: Simon Ewing-Jarvie
Dear Libby Kemp,
The legally required response to my information request is overdue.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Ewing-Jarvie
From: Libby Kemp
Thank you for your email,
This person no longer works at Parliament, and this mailbox is no longer
monitored.
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Simon Ewing-Jarvie left an annotation ()
This request has been answered but has become disconnected somehow. Basically, the answer provided detailed information on new pay and conditions for service personnel based on a review done last year i.e. not the work of the current Government. There appears to be some activity on the Defence Force Remuneration Board as these documents were withheld. For every over topic, there were no documents. This was really the whole point of this request - to show that not much had been done to follow up on 2017 election policies regarding Defence. I have written a blog post about it here https://unclas.com/2018/08/09/mmp-electi... and will be following up with another about pay and conditions soon which I'll also link to via an annotation. Thanks to FYI.org.nz once again.
Simon Ewing-Jarvie left an annotation ()
The information on pay has now been used for a new article on tax status for service personnel on operations. https://unclas.com/2018/08/17/p-a-y-s-pa...
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
Alex Harris left an annotation ()
As it stands this is guaranteed to be rejected as requiring substantial collation and research, because it asks for too much. I suggest that you pick _one_ of those topics and ask about it. You could also try finding some friends and farming out other topics to them.
Link to this