TRANSCRIPT

ABC AM PROGRAM

FRIDAY, 07 MAY 2010

E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………

Subjects: Cuts to Defence Relocation Assistance. 

PRESENTER:

There’s unrest in the ranks ofAustralia’s defence forces over new cost cutting measures targeting familypets. New limits on the numbers of moggies and pooches personnel can relocateare amongst the reported $20 billion in savings which defence is trying tomake. But the federal Opposition says it’s this sort of rationalisation at thehuman end of the defence force department which will have an effect onretention rates. Michael Vincent reports.

REPORTER:

The federal Government spends million of dollars every yeartrying to entice people into joining Australia’s defence forces and keepingthem there. They house them, feed them, offer them skills training and even taxfree incomes when they go off to fight but when it comes to moving from base tobase, they’re now counting the pennies.

NEIL JAMES:

Well when I heard about the limit on pets and cars, quitefrankly, we were horrified. 

REPORTER:

Neil James from the Australian Defence Association saysthey’re not a union but they are getting complaints from across the ranks aboutthe new rules on moving pets and family cars.

NEIL JAMES:

I’ve had some quite interesting feedback, particularly fromwhat you’d loosely call the warrant officer to major across all three servicesand quite frankly they’re not happy.

REPORTER:

What are they saying?

NEIL JAMES:

I’ll quote you one email where it says, attempts are beingmade to save money at working end of the ADF, directly effecting members’working condition instead of the contractual end where the big dollars arebeing squandered. This will directly effect the sustainability and retention ofmembers. You know, when they’re talking about some of the things that are beingtaken off them in terms of condition of service, another email pointed out it’sthe basics such as decreased removal entitlements that directly effect themember and in reality are small dollars in the whole scheme and pettyefficiencies and petty in inverted commas.

REPORTER:

And the Shadow Minister for Defence Personnel, Bob Baldwin,agrees. He says all service men and women have the right to have all theirfamily belongings, including pets and cars, moved to their new posts.

BOB BALDWIN:

Well, these are the very cuts that inflict pain on thepersonnel, reduce the moral of our defence forces whilst there is wastage atthe very top end. There is no doubt that there can be some structural reform,but these $20 billion worth of cutbacks over the next decade are going to hurt,individually, members of the Australian defence force, the very people that werely on for the security of our nation.

REPORTER:

What sort of effect do you think that’ll have on retentionrates?

BOB BALDWIN:

These sort of cuts will do little to hold people to thedefence force. What we need to be doing is encouraging people to stay so thecost of training people is reduced because we retain the expertise. This worksin the opposite direction.

REPORTER:

The Minister for Defence Personnel, Alan Griffin, wasunavailable for comment.

PRESENTER:

Michael Vincent reporting.  

– Ends –