Final flypast for Skyhawk campaigners

A well-financed private campaign to save the Skyhawks reached the end of the road yesterday with a Court of Appeal decision to dismiss the case.

The Save Our Squadrons campaign appealed against a High Court decision that said Defence Minister Mark Burton acted within his powers in disbanding the Air Force's combat squadrons last May.

The convener of the group, Auckland lawyer Clive Bradbury, said it had run out of options.

"It's the end of the road. We'll just have to live with it. We tried our very best."

Justice Andrew Tipping said it was in the public interest to bring the litigation to an end.

He said the High Court was correct to strike out the case because it involved an issue which could not be determined by any legal yardstick.

He said Save Our Squadrons had no prospect of gaining the decision it sought.

Mr Bradbury said the group would not fold. It still had some of the $208,000 it had raised, and would broaden its brief to fight the Government's sweeping changes to defence policy.

He would not say how much money was left in the kitty.

Mr Bradbury denied the campaign received financial backing from Opposition political parties.

"We're not political. We have a committed group of supporters." The group had not received money from any large organisation or individual.

About $200 a day was still being sent in as donations from the more than 4000 people on the group's database.

Mr Bradbury said he was the largest single contributor, having given just under $30,000.

He had spent so much of his own money because the Government's decision had left New Zealand without contingency plans.

His father had been in the Air Force but this was not connected to his strong feelings.

"There's a real need for it ... to make sure this sort of thing never happens again. It's just shortsighted ... a terrible tragedy."

He said it was important New Zealanders were given more information about defence.

The group was considering forming an association to present a New Zealand defence policy independent from any political party.

He had been in contact with the Australian Defence Association which was often consulted by political parties and which raised awareness of defence.

- NZPA

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