1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: So the monum Minui has sunk. Defense Minister Judith Collins 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: at the press conference yesterday, this could have been a 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: truly terrible day, but actually it's a bad day. Purchased 4 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen from Norway, it was used in the 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: oil and gas industry there. It cost US one hundred 6 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: and three million dollars to buy and convert into a 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: navy ship which was ready for service in twenty nineteen. 8 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: The guy who signed the cabinet paper to get that 9 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: done was Ron Mark, former Defense Minister. He's with us 10 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: live this morning. Ron, Good morning, Good morning Ryan. 11 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 2: How are you. 12 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: I'm well, thank you. How are you feeling about this? 13 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 2: No, I'm gutted. Them pretty sad and I guess you 14 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 2: know fair to say this one hurt not just for 15 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 2: me but for my entire fort In my former ministerial 16 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 2: staff team, we worked at butts Off on a range 17 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 2: of cabinet papers at that time and brought into service, 18 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,279 Speaker 2: upgraded the frigates. We bought this ship into service. We 19 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 2: completed the project that former government had started with Altro 20 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 2: introduced that vessel into service as well. To lose a 21 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: ship that brought such an amazing capability to the Royal 22 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: New Zealand Navy into New Zealand as a whole, which 23 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 2: quietly stunned a lot of our five Eyes and other 24 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 2: partners because of its capability and the innovation and thinking 25 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 2: that was behind its purchase. Yeah, lose that ship. We 26 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: knew it should be a stopgap for about fifteen minute 27 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 2: fifteen years, not fifteen minutes and fifteen year stopgap to 28 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 2: cover the resolution and the former money were nouing, one 29 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 2: being a survey ship, the other being the dive ship. 30 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: We thought it was a very innovative and smart purchase 31 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: and get cabinet sign off was a wonderful thing, and 32 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: particularly at that time because I'd been left with a 33 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: bit of a disaster with the frigate system's upgrade and 34 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: project which had gone over one hundred and forty million, 35 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 2: because it had been stalled for ten years, sitting there 36 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: waiting for the government, the previous government sign off on it, 37 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: and we had to fill find money from somewhere. We've 38 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: pulled the money out of the latoral vessel that was 39 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 2: meant to be purchased and put it in to sign 40 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 2: off the evershew and get that done. And then we 41 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: bought bought Mono Nui or Eda fond as she was 42 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: known back then, and. 43 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,399 Speaker 1: Ay hugely important asset to us. What are you hearing 44 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: about what went wrong? 45 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 2: Well, it's a bit dangerous for me to even repeat 46 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: any of the speculation that's out there, because Ryan, as 47 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: you know, the Navy will stand up a court of inquiry. 48 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 2: A convenient officer will clearly be the chief of Navy. 49 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: He will be looking for people the right expertise. I'd 50 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: expect that within forty eight hours there will be an 51 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 2: announcement on that. I'd expect it it'll be very, very quick, 52 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 2: because they want to ascertain exactly how and why the 53 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 2: ship ended up in peril and sinking the way it did. 54 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 2: I guess they'll know that we've got to wait to 55 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 2: hear the results of that court are acquiring. As a 56 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 2: former Minister of Defense, it wouldn't do. You're good to 57 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 2: be speculating in the media and corrupting the process. 58 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 1: No, fair enough, One quick question on that process. Could 59 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: a commanding office a big court martial for something like that? 60 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 2: I wouldn't even want to spark fair conversation around that, 61 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 2: because all right now, I'd say the commanding of the 62 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 2: skipper will be feeling it really really hardly. Now. One 63 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: of the things I do know is that the skipper 64 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 2: made a call, a very tough call, which some might 65 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 2: have thought was a bit premature. But at the end 66 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 2: of the day, everyone got off that vessel. No one died, 67 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 2: and the vessel did go to the bottom, and yet 68 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 2: we showed disadvantage. 69 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, it just goes to show that it was 70 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: the right call in the end, wasn't it. And seventy 71 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: five souls are living today to tell the tale. Ron, 72 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: thank you very much for that. That's Ron Mark, former 73 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: Defense Minister with US. He's signed off on the cabinet 74 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: paper to upgrade and bring that in from Norway for 75 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: more from News Talks, the'd be listen live on air 76 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: or online and keep our shows with you wherever you 77 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: go with our podcasts on IR Radio.