New Zealand's defense minister has hit back at claims that appointing a female captain to command the $61 million naval ship ultimately led to its sinking.
The Navy's diving and hydrographic surveying vessel “Manawanui'' sank on Sunday on a reef off the coast of Samoa where it was conducting a survey. The 75 crew and passengers were ordered to abandon ship in life rafts and were later rescued. The sinking was the first loss of a New Zealand ship since World War II, and an investigation was launched into the cause of the sinking.
The incident sparked online debate about whether the ship's commander, Commander Yvonne Gray, was hired in part because of her gender and sexuality in accordance with the ideology of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
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HMNZS Manawanui Photos, 2022. (DF Christopher Weissenbornz, via AP)
Judith Collins, New Zealand's first female defense minister, condemned the claims and said there was 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 cause of this horrific incident. One thing we already knew: we didn't know.” [because] That's the gender of the captain, a woman with 30 years of Navy experience, and the woman who made the call that night to get the crew to safety,” Collins said.
She said she was appalled to see comments online from “armchair admirals, people who don't have to make life-or-death decisions for their men.”
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Commander Tara Mafileo of the Royal Tongan Navy presented Commander Yvonne Gray (left) with a carved wooden bowl as a souvenir of the RNZN's participation in the 50th anniversary naval review. (New Zealand Defense Force, via AP)
“In 2024 I wonder what's going on with people sitting in armchairs at keyboards making comments about people they don't know, fields they don't know, and just mean things. I really thought about it. It's just a small courtesy,” Collins said.
She added that women in uniform were being abused on the streets after the incident.
“This is outrageous behavior and New Zealand is not known for this, but we are better than that,” she added. “We are all appointed based on merit, not gender,” she added.
The ship lost power and ran aground one nautical mile off the south coast of Samoa's Upolu Island on Saturday evening. By Sunday morning, the ship was “listing significantly” and smoke was visible around 6:40 a.m., the Navy said. By 9 a.m. the ship had slipped beneath the water.
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New Zealand's Defense Minister Judith Collins has condemned claims that the appointment of a female captain to command the $61 million naval vessel ultimately led to its sinking. (AP)
The sinking raised concerns about a large-scale fuel spill. On Thursday, Samoan authorities said the ship was leaking oil from three locations, but the amount was decreasing day by day and was quickly dissipating due to strong winds in the area.
New Zealand Navy chief Rear Admiral Garin Golding told reporters after the sinking that passengers, including civilian scientists and foreign military personnel, left the ship in lifeboats in “difficult conditions” and darkness.
The ship has been in New Zealand since 2019, is 20 years old and previously belonged to Norway. The military said the ship, which was purchased for $61 million (NZ$100 million), was not covered by replacement insurance.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
