Ron Mark in gun over Air Force ‘ taxi’
Minister dismisses ‘scurrilous’ National claims that he used Air Force like taxi service
Defence Minister Ron Mark has justified his use of Air Force flights to and from Wairarapa, where he lives, as simply doing what the Defence Force suggested.
“On several occasions I have declined NZDF’s offer of transport,” he said.
He rejected claims by National that he was using the Air Force as a personal taxi service, labelling the claims as “scurrilous” and an attack on the Defence Force. He was “acutely aware of perception” when taking NZDF flights.
Mark has had four one-way flights either to or from Masterton, near Carterton, where he lives.
Ex-Defence Minister Mark Mitchell said he knew the flights were to or from official duties but it was still inappropriate for the minister to accept ones to an airfield near his home, where the Air Force did usually go.
Mitchell said he himself lived three minutes away from the airfield at Dairy Flat near Auckland, which was not that far from the Air Force base at Whenuapai.
“In terms of convenience, they could have popped over from Whenuapai, picked me up at Dairy Flat and taken me to wherever we were going.
“I wouldn’t in a million years even consider asking them to do that — and had they had offered I would have declined it because it is just wholly inappropriate to have helicopters and planes flying around to make your life a bit more convenient.
“They are burning hours, they are burning fuel, it is just not right and it sticks in my craw. In my view there is no excuse.”
Mitchell said his National predecessors Gerry Brownlee and Jonathan Coleman had not accepted such flights either.
The first Wairarapa flight for Ron Mark to Masterton was three days after he was sworn in as a minister, on October 29. It was in a B200, a King Air small plane, to pick him up for a flight to Woodbourne, to visit Exercise Southern Katipo17.
He was flown home in a NH90 helicopter later than day, after landing en route on HMNZS Canterbury.
Next was a December 9 helicopter flight from Masterton to Waiouru Camp where he was the reviewing officer at the graduation parade. He was flown to Masterton the same afternoon on the same helicopter.
Mitchell said it was only a threehour trip each way by car.
“The Air Force is not a taxi service for its minister,” he said.
“Why did he not save the taxpayer the cost and NZDF the time and use a much cheaper Crown car instead?
“It’s happening so regularly, locals are asking questions about it.”
Ron Mark released a table of all the NZDF flights he had taken in New Zealand since becoming minister — 10 one-way flights, including a Hercules to the Chathams on March 4 for the funeral of Alfred Preece, a 28th Maori Battalion veteran, and a scheduled flight to the Antarctic in December.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Defence Force did not respond to requests for comment.