NZ company sells to Israeli airforce?
31 October 2000 Kia ora, According to a report in this morning�s Dominion, the Hamilton based company Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd is short listed to supply the Israeli airforce with up to fifty CT4 air trainers. The CT4 trainers are sold for up to NZ$1,000,000 (US$400,000) each. Pacific Aerospace has previously supplied various versions of the CT4 trainer to the NZ, Australian and Thai airforces; and to the Thai police. Brian Hare (managing director of Pacific Aerospace) is quoted as saying �his company was confident of winning the contract [with the Israeli airforce] because the CT4, a 150-knot (278 kmh), highly manoeuvrable and fully aerobatic aircraft, was well regarded for all levels of air force pilot training from basic to advanced� (Dominion, 31-10-00). While the current New Zealand government has a policy which states �New Zealand will not engage in military co-operation or exercises with the armed forces of states which sanction the use of their armed forces to suppress human rights� (Defence Policy Framework, June 2000, point 18); unfortunately there does not seem to be any similar policy regarding sales by NZ companies to such armed forces. What you can do You could contact the following to express your views on this proposed sale, and the apparent lack of restraint on NZ companies military-use exports: a) Pacific Aerospace Corporation Limited, Private Bag HN 3027, Hamilton, New Zealand; tel (07) 843 6144; fax (07) 843 6134; [email protected] General Manager/Marketing Division - Graeme Polley, [email protected] b) The NZ government (phone and fax contacts): ~ Helen Clark, Prime Minister, office - tel (04) 471 9998, fax (04) 473 3579; ~ Jim Anderton, Deputy Prime Minister, office - tel (04) 471 9011, fax (04) 495 8441; ~ Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs, office - tel (04) 471 9370, fax (04) 495 8444; ~ Matt Robson, Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, tel (04) 470 6561, fax (04) 495 8462. Ideally you should also send a copy of any correspondence to Keith Locke, Green Party Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, tel (04) 470 6709, fax (04) 472 6003; and a copy of your correspondence and of any replies to PMA for our files. You can write to the above politicians, and your local MP, by addressing your letter to the relevant person and posting (no stamp needed) to Parliament Buildings, Wellington. c) You could also write to the national / nationally distributed media: Christchurch Press, fax (03) 364 8492, [email protected]; Dominion, fax (04) 4740257; Evening Post, fax; (04) 474 0237, [email protected]; New Zealand Herald, fax (09) 373 6434, [email protected]; Sunday Star Times, fax (09) 309 0258; Press Association, fax (04) 473 7480; Radio New Zealand, fax (04) 473 0185; Listener, fax (09) 360 3831, [email protected] * For overseas people receiving this alert, the international dialling code for Aotearoa / New Zealand is +64, then the local code (in brackets) without the 0. Index page on Military alliances and spending |