PINK BATTS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA ACCORDING TO RUDD

The Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Personnel and Assisting Shadow Minister for Defence, Bob Baldwin, today blasted the Prime Minister over his decision to further strip ministerial oversight from the Defence Portfolio.

Mr Baldwin said that the latest desperate actions by the Prime Minister had all but relegated the Defence Portfolio to the back bench.

‘Prime Minister Rudd has signalled that he believes that the defence of Australia is a second-tier issue and no longer a principal responsibility for the Federal Government,’ Mr Baldwin said.

‘During a time when Defence is supposed to be finding $20 billion worth of savings and when we have witnessed pay debacle after pay debacle, now is clearly the time for more ministerial oversight, not less.’

The latest re-shuffle has left Defence with only one full time Minister in Senator Faulkner; one part time Parliamentary Secretary in Dr Kelly, who is also the Parliamentary Secretary for Water; and Minister Combet who at best would contribute 20% of his time to the crucial areas of Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science.

‘To think that Minister Combet would be able to give 20% of his time at the absolute most to matters relating to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel is a major worry and those men and women of the ADF have a right to be concerned that their interests will no longer be adequately represented,’ Mr Baldwin said.

‘ADF personnel should not have to pay for the failings of Senator Penny Wong and Minister Peter Garrett, but that is exactly what is going happen as a direct result of this latest re-shuffle.’

Mr Baldwin said that given Minister Combet’s new position as the Rudd Labor Government’s policy chimneysweeper, it was inevitable that ADF recruitment and retention numbers would drop, personnel would continue to have to put up with pay debacles and that Australian defence industry would continue to suffer from neglect.

‘It’s time for Minister Combet to choose which is more important, pink batts or ADF personnel; and it’s time for the Prime Minister to appoint a full time Minister to be responsible for the areas of Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science.’