One-star man leapfrogs to top defence job

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

In a break with tradition, the top job at Defence headquarters has gone to someone other than the head of one of the armed forces.

Air Commodore Bruce Ferguson, at present head of personnel at Defence HQ, was yesterday named the new Chief of Defence Force.

His selection is also the first time the appointment has been made after an independent recommendation - by the State Services Commission - rather than from an internal defence recommendation.

Air Commodore Ferguson, aged 52, is a former helicopter pilot and former commander of the RNZAF base in Auckland.

His appointment comes in the same week as the combat arm of the Air Force is being disbanded.

He acknowledged it would be a sad time for many but said: "All armed forces in Western democracies have to move on and look to the future, not to the past.

"I have no difficulty with the Government decisions privately [and] certainly not publicly."

He said he would lead the forces in a "team approach" and would not tolerate any covert lobbying by different arms of Defence - as allegedly occurred with the Army.

"I anticipate - if indeed that has been occurring - that it would certainly not be occurring under my leadership.

"There will be no need for it. There will be a committed total team approach."

Air Commodore Ferguson can expect a salary of more than $230,000, a rise of at least $60,000.

He will be promoted from his one-star rank to air marshal before he starts in February.

He leapfrogged two two-star contenders for the post, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear-Admiral Peter McHaffie, and the commander of joint forces, Major-General Martyn Dunne.

He will replace Air Marshal Carey Adamson, who retires in February. Also retiring are the Army chief, Major-General Maurice Dodson, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Don Hamilton.

The next head of the Army, known as the Chief of General Staff, will be Brigadier Jerry Mateparae.

He is now land component commander at joint forces headquarters at Trentham, and will be promoted to major-general.

The next head of the Air Force will be Air Commodore John Hamilton, air component commander at joint forces headquarters. He will be promoted to air vice-marshal.

Air Commodore Ferguson said he was shocked at the news when he received it at noon yesterday.

He had been concentrating on becoming Chief of Air Staff.

One of his first tasks would be to address forces morale.

"You cannot order morale to increase. It is a matter of leading the forces back to the position that they rightly deserve.

"Any criticism of any organisation has an adverse impact on morale. It's inevitable."

He said the news media had blown out of proportion top-level infighting in Defence.

Asked if the Auditor-General had blown the infighting out of proportion in a report referring to top-level relationships as "dysfunctional", he declined to comment.