The Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand (CSS:NZ) is an international and military affairs research (strategic studies) centre located in Wellington, New Zealand. Formerly jointly supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Victoria University of Wellington, it is now a part of Victoria University's School of Government.
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Established in 1993 following a perceived need to examine NZ's international relations and situation more closely, the Centre has had three directors. Terence O'Brien, a former New Zealand diplomat who had chaired the United Nations Security Council, was appointed as Director when the Centre was first established. David Dickens, the former Deputy Director, took over when Mr O'Brien's term finished in 2000, and he was in his turn succeeded by Peter Cozens, who had been and is the Centre's Administrator dealing with Council for Security and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP) matters.
The Centre has had three Directors. The first Director of the Centre, Terence O'Brien was a former New Zealand diplomat with a career as New Zealand Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, the European Commission in Brussels, and the United Nations in New York. From 1993-2000 when O'Brien was the Executive Director the Centre was most active. The Centre managed to retain a reputation for independent advice not linked to the policies of major New Zealand political parties. The Centre put out a number of publications and thought pieces related to New Zealand security and defence issues. The second Director was David Dickens and the third Peter Cozens.
The failure to renew O'Brien's contract in 2000 was seen by some as politically motivated. O'Brien had been very critical of the New Zealand National Government's decision to lease and potentially purchase 28 United States F-16 fighter jets for a cost of up to Nz$640 million dollars in contrast to Dickens who was in full support. It was O'Brien's opinion that the planes served no useful purpose, that the only country that they could reach and attack from bases in New Zealand would be Australia and that the planes were costly and inappropriate for New Zealand given its defence circumstances. Funds could be better spent on upgrading New Zealand's peacekeeping capabilities and purchasing more other aircraft such as the C-130J Super Hercules. Dickens had a different opinion.
New Zealand Defence Minister Max Bradford was aghast at the Centre's decision to criticize the F-16 purchase decision and ensured that O'Brien's contract was not extended. There was a Parliamentary Select Committee inquiry which probed into the failure to renew the contract of Terence O'Brien and the outcome of the enquiry found that there was wrongdoing. David Dickens was promoted to Director. But Dickens did not last long. When the New Zealand Labour Party came to power in 1999, Prime Minister Helen Clark quickly moved to cancel the order of the F-16 fighters due to concerns over cost and suitability. New Zealand lost its air combat force and, in what appears to be a second episode of political interference, the Centre lost Dickens who was promptly fired. Soon after O'Brien was back as an affiliate to the Centre along with a handful of Victoria University professors and other political commentators and security experts.
The Centre now operates on a more low key basis managed by the former operations manager Peter Cozens. As the Centre is now under the wing of Victoria University's Institute of Policy Studies, itself part of the School of Government, Peter Cozens took the title of Executive Director. Apart from the director, the Centre has at various times included a Deputy Director, research fellows from the People's Republic of China and Japan, research associates and assistants, administrators, and support staff.