WELLINGTON — Air Marshal Tony Davies, the chief of the New Zealand Defence Force, resigned on Friday over an "inappropriate relationship" he had while in a position of unit command and failed to disclose, the Defence Force said in a statement reported by Reuters.
"The resignation is for personal reasons, and results from errors of judgement made by me in the past, for which I am taking responsibility. The errors of judgement were contrary to the values of the Defence Force," Davies said. "These matters revolved around an inappropriate relationship I had when in a position of unit command, and I regret not disclosing this when I had the opportunity to do so."
Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith said he agreed Davies' position was "no longer tenable", saying the decision related to "integrity matters that he did not previously disclose". Goldsmith said he would recommend to the Governor-General that she accept the resignation. Vice Chief of Defence Force Rear Admiral Mat Williams will serve as acting chief, the Defence Force said.
Davies resigned on Friday, citing an undisclosed inappropriate relationship from his time in unit command. The matter has been referred to the Inspector-General of Defence, and Rear Admiral Mat Williams is acting chief.
The Defence Force said the matter has been referred to the Inspector-General of Defence, its independent oversight office, according to AFP and Defence Connect reports. Davies, who joined the military in 1984 and became its top officer in 2024, said his focus was on his family and asked for privacy. No timeline for appointing a permanent successor has been announced.