NZ Troops' pay a priority

By JOHN ARMSTRONG

New Zealand soldiers may get a pay rise earlier than expected after last week's successful rescue of United Nations aid workers from West Timor.

The Prime Minister now wants the review of pay, allowances and conditions for Defence Force personnel to be given far more urgency.

The review, announced in June, was due to be completed by the end of the year.

But Helen Clark said yesterday that she wanted it speeded up, given the risks to troops highlighted by last week's sortie and the "huge" pay discrepancy with Australian colleagues.

Eight NZ soldiers and two medics were flown into an Indonesian Army compound last Wednesday to provide cover for Air Force helicopters to evacuate 43 UN workers from the town of Atambua after rampaging militia killed three UN staff.

The Prime Minister said she had been unaware of the pay gap until she attended the funeral of Private Leonard Manning, who was killed by militia on East Timor's border in July.

His mother read a letter from her son at the service in which he talked of joining the Australian Army for the pay.

The lowest base salary paid to NZ troops in East Timor is just over $23,000. They also receive a daily allowance of $91.30.

Australian troops receive a tax-free allowance of $147 a day and base salaries worth thousands of dollars more.


Herald Online feature: the Timor mission

UN Transitional Administration in E Timor