The incoming head of the New Zealand Defence Force says it will be a challenging job to implement cuts and changes the Government wants but he will make it happen.Prime Minister John Key yesterday announced that Major General Richard Rhys Jones would be p
The incoming head of the New Zealand Defence Force says it will be a challenging job to implement cuts and changes the Government wants but he will make it happen.
Prime Minister John Key yesterday announced that Major General Richard Rhys Jones would be promoted to Lieutenant General and take charge of the New Zealand's Defence Force (NZDF) in late January.
Last month the long-awaited white paper into the Defence Force was released and outlined the Government's defence objectives for the next 25 years.
It aimed to free up as much as $300 million a year for more front-line capabilities.
The changes would include replacing 1400 uniform jobs with civilians, integrating parts of the army, navy and air force and merging the Linton and Ohakea bases in the Manawatu.
Maj Gen Jones said the white paper was a good indication of the direction the Government wanted.
"It's in our hands then to make it happen. What we can save by re-prioritising within defence, saving money and people, we can reinvest into change," he told Radio New Zealand.
"Where we can't make savings, or if we can't push as far ahead as we want, then we are going to live within our means to do that."
The changes would not be easy, he said.
"Some of the areas of recommended cuts we are going to have to look pretty carefully at how we do that and there's going to be some negotiation with the Government about what they will also allow us to do and what they consider to be important for us to do."
Areas he highlighted were around changing jobs and using civilians.
Decisions around deployments, such as in Afghanistan, were up to the Government, he said.
Maj Gen Jones has been in charge of the army.
Mr Key said he had "the strategic leadership, intellectual capacity, management experience and personal qualities the new position requires".
Maj Gen Jones takes over from Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae who is to leave Defence to run the Government Communications Security Bureau, starting in February.
