April 2009 - Rear Admiral Tony Parr's speech
Ki te wheiao
Ki te ao marama
Tihei mauri ora
Kei te matua nui i te rangi
ki to ingoa tapu, tena koe
Kei nga mate katoa, haere atu ra
Ki a tatou nga iwi katoa, tena koutou katoa.
Minister of Defence, the Honourable Dr Wayne Mapp.
Chief of Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Graham Lintott.
Vice Chief of Defence Force, Admiral Jack Steer.
Your Worship the Mayor of North Shore City, Councillor Andrew Williams.
Distinguished guests – there are many of you here.
Men and women of the Royal New Zealand Navy.
The late American journalist and philosopher Walter Lippman said of leadership: “The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction to carry on.”
Today we have farewelled a leader who really did make a difference. Admiral David Ledson achieved many things during his five year tenure as Chief of Navy; leading us in times of growth and change, and leading us in times when the going was quite frankly pretty tough. Admiral Ledson has passed many tests in his time, and if the last test of a leader is to leave behind the conviction in others to carry on then he has certainly passed with flying colours.
Neke atu he tete kura e te rangatira Rawiri Ledson. So, as I take the helm the way forward for us over the next three to five years - the navigation track as we refer to it - is clear enough.
With the commissioning this year of the remaining Protector ships, we are closing in on our goal of being a Versatile Navy with the capability and capacity to address the broad range of maritime operations the government requires of us; from combat through to multi agency operations through to defence diplomacy tasks. The big challenge ahead is to prove and sustain our ability to provide for a broader range of operations over the long term.
These are indeed exciting times, but challenges remain, and undoubtedly new ones will arise. The introduction into service of the Protector ships remains a major focus for 2009 and throughout 2010. We need to continue building the capability of CANTERBURY. And while doing this we must maintain the sharp edge of our combat force TE MANA and TE KAHA and the important elements of Littoral Warfare Support – Diving, Mine Countermeasures and Hydrography.
But as someone famously said: ‘Ships are all right – it’s the people in them that matter.’ He tangata, he tangata, he tangata – it is people, it is people, it is people.
Ships simply aren’t ships without people. Having the right numbers of the right people has been a constant challenge for us over the years – it remains so today and it will be a challenge that we will continue to address aggressively on my watch.
The ‘people challenge’ is for us basically one of supply and demand. Demand is set by the combination of established posts in our ships and in our shore establishments. Supply is a function of our ability to recruit and train the right numbers of the right people. Sounds easy but it’s complicated by an unstable attrition rate, a changing economy, and the fact that the majority of our recruits need to be trained from the bottom up. Much has been done to attract the right people – there’s more we can do yet.
We also need to address the ‘demand’ side. We’ve got a good idea of how many people it takes to operate our ships, the skills that they require and the rank mix. But technology marches on and we need to structure ourselves so that we can take advantage of smart investments in technology, provide our people with the right skills and competencies in a high tech environment and keep the work that we do rewarding and satisfying to all.
It is not only the people in the ships that matter. Personnel in shore posts, both naval and civilian, make a vital contribution to keeping our fleet at sea. To put it simply; to sustain the fleet we must maintain and sustain the organisation behind it.
To achieve more within our existing resources we have worked hard in recent years to become smarter and more effective in the way we work. This ‘behind the scenes’ focus on business excellence is now about to pay off as the scope of fleet operations increases and we must manage that within our existing support base.
To have every position manned by the right person by 2014 remains our number one strategic goal. I’m confident we can achieve our goal, not least because I believe a job in the Navy is one of the most exciting and rewarding careers a young man or woman could aspire to.
The third element of the navigation track is the ongoing work to ensure we have the ships and capability to meet the requirements of our mission now, and in the future.
Thanks to recent investment we will soon have a balanced and versatile fleet that can respond quickly to the needs of government, using both hard and soft power. But time marches on, and as older ships in the fleet approach retirement age, and other equipment is superceded, we must begin planning for the future.
Our tanker ENDEAVOUR is a strategic asset, giving our fleet the flexibility to operate far from our shores. But she is ageing, and by 2013 may not meet International Maritime Organisation construction standards for tankers, so we must begin preparing options for future capability.
The diving tender MANAWANUI and hydrographic survey ship RESOLUTION are also nearing the end of their operational lives. We need to investigate what might replace them in the form of a ship to deploy diving, mine counter measures and inshore hydrography capabilities which we know collectively now as our Littoral Warfare Support force.
Last but not least we need to address some components of the frigate mission systems which now, after some ten years in service, will require replacement in the not too distant future.
I’ll be focusing on these issues in the context of the Defence Review 2009, and at the same time I’ll be very conscious of the era of financial constraint, and restraint, that is now upon us. But as Chief of Navy it is my responsibility to advise the Chief of the Defence Force on what I believe are the right solutions to meet the nation’s maritime security needs. It is then my duty, and the duty of all in the Navy to implement the government’s decisions to the best of our professional ability.
So we’ve had a change of watch. The passage during the last watch has covered a lot of ground, weathered a few storms and made a few course alterations to avoid those inevitable rocks and obstacles on the way. As a result we are in very good shape to proceed on the navigation track that is set before us. There is no need at present for any bold course alterations. As we move ahead there will undoubtedly be more rocks and obstacles before us, and as well, like good sailors we need to be conscious of the winds, tides and currents on the way.
Some of these winds, tides and currents will speed us up, some may slow us down and yet others may require us to make some course alterations to keep our navigation track. These will ultimately be my responsibility. But as I take the action that I need to while on watch I’m going to need the support of each and every one of you in the Navy, both uniform and civilian, as we strive to deliver the requirements of our mission year in, year out and as we take the steps towards achieving our vision of being ‘the best small nation navy in the world’. I’m looking forward to the next stage of that journey. I’m honoured and proud to be at the helm.
No reira e nga mana, e nga reo, e aku rangatira tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.