Politics intrude on Anzac Day

New Zealanders, wrapped up against the chill, listen quietly to the dawn service at Anzac Cove with 20,000 others. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Defence politics intruded heavily into Anzac commemorations in New Zealand and Turkey yesterday.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard decided to have a barbecue with his own troops at Gallipoli instead of attending a service for New Zealand's war dead.

National Party leader Don Brash angered the Government by using a dawn service to allude to under-spending on defence.

And the Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson, speaking to an audience that included Prince Charles, attacked the British military strategists whose decisions on the Gallipoli campaign had led to the "squandering of life".

Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is also in Gallipoli, is believed to be annoyed that Mr Howard's no-show is getting so much coverage in New Zealand and last night said it was of no consequence.

But the symbolism of Mr Howard's decision to attend a sausage sizzle over a memorial service to NZ soldiers has not been lost on Opposition politicians, not least Dr Brash.

Last night, Dr Brash said he did not know if it was a deliberate snub but Mr Howard would not make such a decision without calculating its impact.

He offered a possible reason - Australia's continued displeasure at NZ's contribution to defence.

"Perhaps it is hardly surprising, given that New Zealand has been seen, certainly in Australian quarters, as increasingly unwilling to pull its weight in the defence area.

"It is a sad day when the Australian Prime Minister feels he doesn't want to attend the New Zealand service. He obviously decided this was a lower priority for him than attending a barbecue, and that ought to be worrying to New Zealand."

Helen Clark has not taken offence at Mr Howard's decision and said he had not been expected to attend the New Zealand service.

The last time she and Mr Howard had both been at Gallipoli, their respective services coincided so they could not attend each other's.

"It's really a matter for Mr Howard how he spends his time here," she said on TV One's Close Up.

Defence Minister Mark Burton accused Dr Brash of abusing the solemnity of Anzac Day.

At the dawn service in Wellington, Dr Brash implied the Government was running down the Defence Force and becoming too distant from Australia on defence matters.

He said it was owed to those who died to reflect on the lessons of war, and to "remember the ultimate lesson: that New Zealand should never be caught unprepared, that we should have strong defences and work with like-minded allies to maintain safety in our region, whether the threat is from a belligerent state or the sinister evil of our age, the international terrorist".

"We should work diligently for peace, and to improve relations with countries in our region.

"But we dishonour the memory of the Anzacs if we allow our defence forces to atrophy in what is clearly an unstable international environment."

Mr Burton said Dr Brash was indulging in crass politicising of Anzac Day. "There are suitable times and places for me to challenge the inference of Dr Brash's comments on the facts and I will.

"But I will not stoop to do it on this day."

Dr Brash said he had raised the issue in an apolitical way.

Air Marshal Ferguson may have raised eyebrows with his blunt speech in Gallipoli about the British-led campaign that claimed the lives of almost a third of the 8556 NZ troops involved.

"Our military professionals today see in this campaign joint warfare at its worst, at least from the British side: lack of co-ordination, lack of focus, blunders and the squandering of life.

"Perhaps the Gallipoli campaign was a high-water mark of our nation's imperial subservience."

* The growing popularity of Gallipoli services caused a hitch in the Chunuk Bair service for New Zealand's war dead.

Helen Clark kept Prince Charles waiting for at least 15 minutes late last night (NZT) after her bus and his got separated in the heavy traffic.