Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says New Zealand's armed forces are needed as much now as they ever were.
Jonathan Coleman. Photo: RNZ
In the aftermath of Anzac Day, the Green Party has reiterated that New Zealand needs a force only for peace keeping, Civil Defence and other emergencies.
It says the world has changed since enemies turned up in force off the coastlines of small countries.
But Dr Coleman told the Sunday Morning programme the world is still a dangerous place.
''We live in a world where things change pretty rapidly, it's an unstable world,'' he said. ''Threats change over time (and) we do need a combat capability, absolutely no question.''
He also said the Defence Force is also invaluable for providing disaster relief and 30 percent of its work is in this area.
