Giles
Dexter Political reporter
The
prime minister is defending the deployment of a second
Defence Force plane for his Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
mission, having previously criticised the use of a back-up
plane when in opposition.
Christopher Luxon is in
Palau for the annual PIF leaders meeting. Both of the RNZAF
Boeing 757s have been deployed on the mission, with one
staying in Cairns as a back-up.
Luxon said it was a
Defence Force decision to take two planes, with 88 people
from New Zealand heading to PIF.
“We’ve taken 14
delegations up here, we’ve got a lot of people to take home
on Sunday as well, and we’re taking some home when I go out
on Friday as well.”
Luxon said connectivity was a big
challenge at PIF, and he had talked about the importance of
connectivity at the realm leaders’ meeting with Tokelau,
Niue, and the Cook Islands last week.
“It makes the
case for why we need a good, reliable Air Force
plane.”
Air
Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott also spoke of
the PIF meeting’s remote location.
“This important
meeting is being held in a comparatively remote location
where air services and options are limited, and therefore a
back-up aircraft has been positioned to assist if required
for any reason.”
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New Zealand is hosting next year’s
leaders meeting.
In 2023, the Defence Force sent a
back-up plane for then-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ trip to
China.
The back-up plane, which was sent in case the
first broke down, was left in Manila. It attracted
strong criticism from then-opposition leader Luxon, who
said it “doesn’t seem a good move” in a climate
challenge.
Luxon vowed
not to use Defence Force planes to travel
internationally if he became prime minister – a promise he
quickly reneged on.
On Thursday, Hipkins said Luxon
was changing his position based on what was convenient for
him.
“Well, well, well,” he said. “Hypocrisy knows no
ends.”
Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni alleged
the second plane was taken because of a breakdown in the
relationship between Luxon and Foreign Affairs Minister
Winston Peters.
Peters, who had been in Palau earlier
in the week, returned to Parliament on
Thursday.
Sepuloni said Luxon and Peters could have
flown together, without the need for a second
plane.
“It’s like a couple who have separated who
can’t stand to be in the same room, or something. So in this
instance, they can’t even share the same plane, they
couldn’t align their timing for travel. It is
bizarre.”
Sepuloni said that was a “theory” and she
had “heard some murmurings” around Parliament, but would not
back her claim up.
Peters said it was “totally
untrue”, and the plane was also used to transport other
leaders.
“Carmel can do better than that, surely,” he
said. “The last time Palau had [the PIF] there were only
eight countries. Because of New Zealand, there were 18
countries there.
“And the second thing is we can’t
afford, if any mistake goes, to have them parked up then
can’t get home. So we’ve got a plane in Australia just in
case the contingency happens. That’s a Defence matter, but
it makes sense.”
New planes
The government is
currently purchasing two new Airbus A321XLR planes on a
lease-to-buy arrangement, to replace the ageing
757s.
The current planes, which were purchased in
2003, are mostly used for transporting cargo around the
Pacific. But they have a recent
history of unreliability when it comes to prime
ministerial travel.
In 2024, Luxon had to fly
commercially to Melbourne after the 757 broke
down.
He also left
a business delegation in Papua New Guinea after a 757
broke down during a refuel stop en route to Japan.
In
2016, Sir John Key was forced to cancel
the first day of a trip to India after the 757 broke
down in Townsville, while in 2019 Dame Jacinda Ardern flew
commercially back from Melbourne after a
breakdown.
She also took a commercial flight back to
New Zealand from the United States in 2022 when the 757
broke down in Washington
DC.
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