This is edition 2025/118 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Gifts, Graft, and a $12bn defence spend-up
Bryce Edwards
- 🎁 NZDF Scandal: Since 2016, NZDF personnel accepted over 2,500 gifts worth nearly $419,000 from commercial suppliers, including sports tickets, yachts, smartwatches, and more.
- ⚖️ Conflict of Interest: The gifts raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and ethical breaches, as nearly 80% were claimed to “build business relationships.”
- 🍽️ “Cosy Relationships”: Major suppliers like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, KPMG, and others provided lavish meals, tickets, and even yacht experiences to Defence officers.
- 🔴 Corruption Risk: While no direct evidence of bribery was found, the risk of "undue influence" and compromised decision-making is clear, with questions about fairness in procurement.
- 📉 Weak Oversight: Despite having a policy on gifts, NZDF failed to enforce it effectively, with an apparent lack of accountability at both the Ministry of Defence and Parliament.
- 💰 Defence Spending Surge: At the same time as this scandal, New Zealand is committing $12 billion to defence spending, raising concerns about industry influence on military decisions.
- 🎯 Public Scrutiny Lacking: There has been minimal public debate about the ballooning defence budget, with many questioning if military procurement decisions are unduly influenced by corporate interests.
- 🔄 Revolving Door: Senior NZDF personnel have moved directly into lucrative roles with defence contractors, raising concerns about the revolving door between military leadership and industry.
- 🧐 Transparency Issues: The NZDF’s gift-taking culture, combined with inadequate oversight, exposes major gaps in New Zealand’s integrity monitoring systems.
