Manawanui sinking: Acting Defense Minister Chris Penk provides details of ‘Operation Resolution’ and pledges transparency

Chris Penk: “The only ‘clause’ you’ll have to deal with for a while is Santa!”
Photo: VNP / Phil Smith

Acting Defense Minister Chris Penk made a statement to Parliament on the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui and answered questions from other politicians – but dismissed some as “premature”.

He rejected suggestions Defense Minister Judith Collins’ response was “dismissive” or that relations with Samoa had been damaged, vowing to make the inquiry process public “in to the greatest extent possible” and put an end to questions about the overall cost.

Penk stood up to make the statement on Tuesday, the first sitting day of Parliament since the ship registered on Saturday October 5 and sank beneath the waves the next day, opening the debate to questions and statements from other parties.

He assured the people of Samoa and New Zealand that the government and navy would do everything they could as part of a whole-of-government response, dubbed Operation Resolution.

This would involve working with Samoan authorities to understand the implications and assess rescue options, he said.

“The Defense Force is exploring options to mitigate the loss of capacity resulting from the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui,” Penk said. “The Navy still has diving and survey capabilities that operate independently of Manawanui and are therefore still available and deployable.”

He said the government was grateful for the patience and support of the Samoan government in its exclusive economic zone, and particularly to those who rescued the ship’s crew and passengers, but he did not apologize – which Labour’s Peeni Henare did not hesitate to present.

Defense Minister Judith Collins.
Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro

“On behalf of the Labor Party… we apologize to Samoa, particularly the Upolu community and the greater Samoan community here in Aotearoa New Zealand,” Henare said.

He also rebuffed questions about reports that a Samoan living near where the ship sank had previously told media that Defense Minister Judith Collins’ response had been “dismissive”, and d There are other suggestions that relations between the two countries could be strained.

He added that there was “nothing dismissive” in the reaction of the minister or the government, who – from the Prime Minister to the Minister of Defense – had “acknowledged and been in contact with their relevant counterparts”.

The investigative process already underway would gather and record the evidence, he said, and account for the sequence of events leading to the loss of the vessel; the cause of the grounding and subsequent sinking; compliance with standard notification procedures; and any injuries and environmental damage.

Asked by Henare whether this process “is akin to the navy investigating itself,” Penk said there is nothing to stop other investigations from taking place as well. However, when asked whether the government would consider another parallel investigation that is “much more public, transparent and accountable,” Penk said there would be no point in speculating “until we have a clearer idea of ​​what what happened…remains possible in terms of the possible environmental impact.”

However, he said the findings would be made public “to the greatest extent possible” and other options would be considered subsequently “for the purposes of accountability and reassurance to the New Zealand and Samoan public”.

The HMNZS Manawanui, stranded in Samoa.
Photo: Boats supplied / profiled

He also dismissed questions about the costs of the overall operation as premature.

“It would be premature for me to speculate on the costs that might arise from the incident in question, and therefore premature to answer the question which is purely hypothetical at this stage, in terms of the amount of such compensation.”

A hotline has been set up for Samoan residents to call if they find any items from the ship washed up on land or at sea: +685 714 2198.

Minister’s statement

“I rise to make a ministerial statement regarding the whole of Government response to the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui off the coast of Samoa on Saturday 5 October. I would also like to thank the ship’s brave crew and passengers who evacuated overnight in extreme conditions, and Commander Yvonne Gray who made the right decision to evacuate the ship. We should be incredibly proud of all New Zealand Defense Force personnel who are all highly trained and serve New Zealand without hesitation.

“With the safety of passengers and crew, the Government has focused on mitigating any environmental impact. Sir, I assure this House, the people of New Zealand and those of Samoa, we will do everything we can We can. The New Zealand Defense Force is leading the whole-of-government response to this incident called Operation Resolution, which includes support from Maritime New Zealand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and wildlife experts. Massey University. Operation Resolution involves working with Samoan authorities to understand the implications of this incident and evaluate salvage options. Staff have been clearing wreckage from the beach area, and Navy divers are evaluating. regularly the position of the ship and the condition of the oil tanks on board.

“I would like to express our sincere thanks to the Samoan government for their support and patience as we assess the impact of this incident on its exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, as well as to the Samoan personnel who rescued the crew and passengers of the ship. fateful Saturday evening.

“Sir, we are also grateful for the support provided by the Royal Navy’s Her Majesty’s Ship Tamar and other partners. The Defense Force is exploring options to mitigate the loss of capability resulting from the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui. Navy still has diving assets and survey capabilities that operate independently of Manawanui and are therefore still available and deployable. Further considerations, particularly under the next Defense Capability Plan, will provide options for more solutions. broader and longer term.

“On Thursday 10 October, Navy Chief Rear Admiral Garin Golding announced details of the New Zealand Court of Inquiry into the matter. This inquiry will gather and record evidence and report on the sequence of events leading to the loss of the vessel, the cause of the grounding, the subsequent sinking and details of the notification procedures, as well as any injuries sustained and, of course, any environmental damage. many questions will arise, but the proper process must play out through the Court of Inquiry, which is conducted in strict accordance with the Armed Forces Discipline Act,

“The Government recognizes the high level of public interest in this matter and will continue to keep the New Zealand public informed as new information is revealed, subject to concerns over privacy, national security and commercial sensitivity .

“It is important, Sir, that we do not rush to speculate on what happened, and also to allow the process of the court of inquiry to proceed. Although we do not yet know what caused this terrible incident, I wish to echo the sentiments expressed by the Minister for Defense, Judith Collins, that we know that the gender of the ship’s captain had no role to play in the incident.

“Sir, our personnel are highly trained, and the fact that the evacuation of HMNZS Manawanui was carried out safely, i.e. without loss of life, is a testament to their courage, camaraderie and commitment. The Government will continue to do everything we can to continue to mitigate the impact of this incident on Samoa and the wider Pacific. »