New Zealand Defence Chief Davies Resigns Over Inappropriate Relationship
Air Marshal Tony Davies says he failed to disclose a relationship from his time commanding a unit, and Rear Adm. Mat Williams will take over as acting chief
By AXY Defense Desk ·
Key points
- Air Marshal Tony Davies has resigned as Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force after informing Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith.
- Davies said the resignation results from past errors of judgement, including an inappropriate relationship he had while in a position of unit command, and that he regrets not disclosing it.
- Rear Adm. Mat Williams, the Vice Chief of Defence Force, will serve as Acting Chief of Defence Force.
- Maj. Gen. Rose King, the Chief of Army, will act as Chief of Defence Force until Sunday before Williams takes on the role.
- Davies was appointed Chief of Defence Force on June 6, 2024, after earlier roles as Chief of Air Force and Vice Chief of Defence Force.
Air Marshal Tony Davies has resigned as Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force, the country’s top uniformed military post, after telling Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith that he was giving up the role. Davies said the decision follows an inappropriate relationship he had while in charge of a military unit, and that he regrets not disclosing it when he had the chance. Arrangements are already underway for Rear Adm. Mat Williams, the Vice Chief of Defence Force, to take over as Acting Chief of Defence Force.
Davies gave his reasons in a short statement. “The resignation is for personal reasons, and results from errors of judgement made by me in the past, for which I am taking responsibility,” he said. “The errors of judgement were contrary to the values of the Defence Force.”
The second half of the statement is the most direct part. “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.”
For a senior officer to resign over his own past conduct is rare, and it puts the Defence Force in the position of finding a new leader while the question of how the matter was handled remains in public view.
Who Is Stepping Aside and Who Takes Over
The Chief of Defence Force, usually shortened to CDF, leads the New Zealand Defence Force. That organisation brings the navy, army and air force under one command. When the chief steps down, someone has to keep operations, planning and personnel decisions running without a gap.
That is why the handover details matter. Williams, as Vice Chief of Defence Force, is the next officer in line, and he will serve as Acting Chief of Defence Force. An acting appointment means he holds the job on a temporary basis, carrying the full duties of the role while the country settles on its longer-term arrangement.
The handover will not happen at once. Maj. Gen. Rose King, the Chief of Army, will act as Chief of Defence Force until Sunday. Williams then takes on the role. So the first stage is a short period under King, followed by Williams in charge. Both officers are senior figures in the same organisation, which helps keep the chain of command clear during the change.
For the people who serve under that command, the change is about more than a new name at the top. Service members, officers and civilian staff look to the person at the head of the force to set the standard for conduct. When that leader admits he broke the standard, the question becomes how the institution responds.
Davies’ Path From Air Force Officer to Top Job
Davies is an air force officer by background. He was appointed Chief of Air Force in 2016, leading the air arm of the Defence Force. In 2018 he became Vice Chief of Defence Force, the second-most senior post in the organisation. That role put him close to the top decisions for the whole force for several years before he moved into the top job.
He was born in 1966. He was promoted to his current rank when he was appointed Chief of Defence Force on June 6, 2024. That appointment placed him at the head of the navy, army and air force as the joint organisation’s overall leader.
The timeline matters because it shows how long Davies had been a senior figure in the force. His statement refers to errors of judgement made in the past and to a period when he held command of a unit. Those earlier roles, which put him in charge of people as well as aircraft and equipment, are where the conduct he describes took place.
What Davies Admitted and Why the Wording Matters
The central point of the statement is not the resignation alone. It is the admission that a relationship he had while commanding a unit was inappropriate, and that he did not disclose it when he could have. In plain terms, he is saying he knew, or should have known, that he needed to report it, and he did not.
Davies described the conduct as “errors of judgement” and said they were “contrary to the values of the Defence Force.” Those words frame the decision as a personal failure that clashed with the organisation’s own code, rather than a disagreement over policy or a dispute with superiors. That framing is the one he chose to put on the record.
For people in the military, the distinction carries real weight. A unit commander is responsible for the welfare and discipline of the people in that unit. A personal relationship involving a commander can raise hard questions about fairness, pressure and trust, particularly for junior staff who may find it difficult to raise a concern. Davies’ statement does not name anyone else involved, and this report does not add detail beyond his own words.
The resignation also sends a signal about accountability. By stepping down rather than waiting for the matter to be dealt with by other means, Davies has turned a question about past conduct into a leadership decision in the present. That choice will shape how the public and the force read the episode.
The Tests Ahead for the Defence Force
The first test is the handover itself. King will hold the role until Sunday, and Williams will then take over. Keeping operations on track during that short changeover will show whether the force can absorb a sudden exit at the top. A smooth transition suggests succession planning worked. A rough one would raise questions about how prepared the organisation was.
The second test is cultural. Davies has been direct about failing to disclose his relationship, and that makes disclosure itself the issue. Other officers will be watching to see whether reporting channels are trusted and whether the force treats the duty to disclose personal conduct as seriously as it treats other standards. This could affect whether officers feel willing to raise similar concerns in the future, and that is the real measure of whether the lesson has been learned.
The third test is political. Goldsmith, the Defence Minister, is the person Davies informed. How the government describes the change, and how quickly it moves to settle the longer-term leadership of the force, will shape the public picture. The next official statements from the minister and the Defence Force will show whether the handover is treated as a routine succession or as a wider review of how the matter was handled.
What Is Known and What Comes Next
The facts are clear and narrow. Davies has told the minister he is resigning as Chief of Defence Force. Williams is set to become Acting Chief of Defence Force, with King acting in the role until Sunday. Davies has said he is taking responsibility for past errors of judgement and that he regrets not disclosing an inappropriate relationship from his time commanding a unit.
What happens next will depend on how the handover is carried out and what the government and the Defence Force say about the permanent leadership. This report will focus on those official steps as they come. Until then, the most important detail for readers is that the country’s military is now moving from one leader to another in a planned sequence, with the admission at the centre of the change.
The measure of this episode will be whether the force can show its standards apply at the very top, not only on paper.
Questions and answers
Why did New Zealand's Chief of Defence Force resign?
Air Marshal Tony Davies said he resigned for personal reasons, citing errors of judgement he made in the past. He said these involved an inappropriate relationship while he was in a position of unit command, and that he regrets not disclosing it when he had the opportunity.
Who will lead New Zealand's Defence Force after Tony Davies?
Rear Adm. Mat Williams, the Vice Chief of Defence Force, will serve as Acting Chief of Defence Force. Chief of Army Maj. Gen. Rose King will act as Chief of Defence Force until Sunday before Williams takes on the role.
Who is Tony Davies?
Tony Davies is an air marshal who was appointed Chief of Air Force in 2016 and became Vice Chief of Defence Force in 2018. He was appointed Chief of Defence Force on June 6, 2024.
Who did Tony Davies tell about his resignation?
Davies informed Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith that he was resigning his role as Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force.
Topics: New Zealand Defence Force, Tony Davies, Paul Goldsmith, Mat Williams, Rose King, Chief of Defence Force, Military conduct
Sources: Defense News