Ron Mark
Role at the time: Former Minister of Defence and New Zealand First candidate for Wairarapa, posting on Facebook
Condemned
Response to this claim
Ron Mark said the circumstances of Tony Davies's resignation pointed to a possible failure of Defence Force processes, according to RNZ.
“This whole pattern of events points to wood rot and incompetence at the highest levels not just within the Military hierarchy but also in the Public Service Commission. Which is why I have said I want the military appointments to be pulled out from under the auspices of the PSC. For it is they who have failed the Minister here.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Ron Mark: Facebook post on the Chief of Defence Force's resignationMark's original post as shown in the share, 1:04 pm NZDT on 24 October 2026; second paragraph
Why we used this label
Relative to the handling of integrity information in Davies's appointment and resignation, Mark directly criticizes the military leadership and the Public Service Commission and says the Commission failed the Minister. He states a conclusion rather than raising a question or setting a condition, so the label is condemns rather than mixed or conditional.