New Zealand's Defense Minister has responded to claims that the appointment of a female captain to command a $61 million Navy ship ultimately led to its sinking.
The navy's specialized hydrographic and diving vessel, The Manawanui, sank on Sunday on a reef off the coast of Samoa that it was surveying. Her 75 crew and passengers were ordered to abandon ship in life rafts and were later rescued. The sinking marked the first ship lost by New Zealand since the Second World War and an investigation has been launched into what led to its disappearance.
The incident sparked an online debate over whether the captain, Commander Yvonne Grey, was hired, in part because of her gender and sexuality in line with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) ideology.
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The HMNZS Manawanui photographed in 2022. (Christopher Weissenbornnzdf via AP)
Judith Collins, New Zealand's first defense minister, refuted such claims and said there is a “misogynistic narrative” surrounding the sinking. The cause of the sinking has not yet been determined.
“A court of inquiry has been set up to determine the causes of this horrible incident. “The only thing we already know is not [because] is the gender of the ship's captain, a woman with 30 years of naval experience who made the call that night to get her people to safety,” Collins said.
She said she was dismayed to see online comments from “armchair admirals, people who will never have to make decisions that mean life or death for their subordinates.”
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Lieutenant Commander Tala Mafile'o of the Current Tongan Navy presents Commander Yvonne Grey, left, with a carved wooden bowl as a memento of the RNZN's participation in the 50th Anniversary Fleet Review. (New Zealand Defense Force via AP)
“I seriously thought in 2024 what the hell is going on here with people who are sitting on their couch operating a keyboard making comments about people they don't know, about an area they don't know and are just vile. Where's a little bit of decency,” Collins said.
He added that the women in uniform were abused on the street after the incident.
“This is outrageous behavior and New Zealand is not known for this and we are better than that,” he added. “We are all appointed by merit, not by gender,” he added.
The ship lost power and ran aground on Saturday afternoon about a nautical mile off the southern coast of the Samoan island of Upolu. On Sunday morning, the ship was “heavily listing” and smoke was seen around 6:40 a.m., the navy said. At 9 a.m. the ship sank below the surface.
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New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins has refuted claims that the appointment of a female captain to command a $61 million Navy ship ultimately led to its sinking. (AP)
The sinking raised fears of a major fuel spill. On Thursday, Samoan officials said that while the ship was leaking oil in three places, the amount was decreasing each day and dissipating quickly due to strong winds in the area.
Passengers, including civilian scientists and foreign military personnel, abandoned the ship in lifeboats in “difficult conditions” and in the dark, New Zealand Navy chief Rear Admiral Garin Golding told reporters after the sinking.
The ship had been in service for New Zealand since 2019, was 20 years old and had previously belonged to Norway. The military said the ship, purchased for $61 million (NZ$100 million), was not covered by replacement insurance.
Related Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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