WELLINGTON, New Zealand: New Zealand鈥檚 defense minister issued stinging rebukes of what she said were 鈥渧ile鈥� and 鈥渕isogynistic鈥� online remarks by 鈥渁rmchair admirals鈥� about the woman captain of a navy ship that ran aground, caught fire and sank off the coast of Samoa.
鈥淪eriously, it鈥檚 2024,鈥� Judith Collins told reporters Thursday. 鈥淲hat the hell鈥檚 going on here?鈥�
After days of comments on social media directed at the gender of Commander Yvonne Gray, Collins urged the public to 鈥渂e better.鈥� Women members of the military had also faced verbal abuse in the street in New Zealand since the ship 鈥� one of nine in the country鈥檚 navy 鈥� was lost on Sunday, Collins said.
All 75 people on board evacuated to safety with only minor injuries after the vessel ran aground on the reef it was surveying about a mile off the coast of Upolu, Samoa鈥檚 most populous island. The cause of the disaster is not known.
鈥淭he one thing that we already know did not cause it is the gender of the ship鈥檚 captain, a woman with 30 years鈥� naval experience who on the night made the call to get her people to safety,鈥� Collins said.
One of the posters was a truck driver from Melbourne, Australia, she added.
鈥淚 think that he should keep his comments to people who drive trucks rather than people who drive ships,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淭hese are the sorts of people I鈥檓 calling out and I鈥檓 happy to keep calling them out for as long as it takes to stop this behavior.鈥�
About 20 percent of New Zealand鈥檚 uniformed military members are women. Collins is New Zealand鈥檚 first woman defense minister and said she stood alongside Gray and Maj. Gen. Rose King, the country鈥檚 first woman army chief, who assumed her role in June.
鈥淲e are all appointed on merit, not gender,鈥� said Collins.
The sinking prompted fears of a major fuel spill. On Thursday, officials in Samoa said while the vessel was leaking oil from three places, the amount was reducing each day and was dissipating quickly due to strong winds in the area.
Most of the ship鈥檚 fuel appeared to have burned out in the fire, according to a statement by the Marine Pollution Advisory Committee. Officials were due to meet with locals Thursday to discuss how to remove the vessel鈥檚 anchor and three shipping containers from the reef without further damaging the fragile marine ecosystem.
New Zealand鈥檚 government has ordered a military court of inquiry into the episode, which will be led by senior military officers. It will assemble for the first time on Friday.
Passengers, including civilian scientists and foreign military personnel, left the vessel on life boats in 鈥渃hallenging conditions鈥� and darkness, New Zealand鈥檚 Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding told reporters after the sinking.
Those on board have since returned to New Zealand by plane.
The specialist dive and hydrographic vessel had been in service for New Zealand since 2019, but was 20 years old and had previously belonged to Norway. The military said the ship, purchased for $100 million NZ dollars ($61 million), was not covered by replacement insurance.
The state of New Zealand鈥檚 aging military hardware has prompted warnings from the defense agency, which in a March report described the navy as 鈥渆xtremely fragile,鈥� with ships idle due to problems retaining the staff needed to service and maintain them. Of the navy鈥檚 eight remaining ships, five are currently operational.
Golding said the HMNZS Manawanui underwent a maintenance period before the deployment.