Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence. Defence APS staff recruitment has been under an interim recruitment arrangement, which the APS commissioner lifted on 1 July 2015. However, many Defence APS vacancies still exist in Defence establishments in my electorate. Can the minister please tell the House what the position is regarding filling these, particularly in regional Defence establishments?

Mr Watts interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gellibrand is warned!

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Indi for her question. As she said, there are significant Defence establishments in her electorate—at Bandiana and Bonegilla. Indeed, so far as the Australian Army is concerned, these are the centres for its logistical training centres. Why are they important? They are important because logistical training is what provides us with drivers, mechanics and electricians—people with the range of skills which are absolutely essential for the functioning of the Australian Army as part of the Australian Defence Force. Indeed, as I recall, there are some 1,700 Australian Defence Force personnel in the honourable member's electorate, and that includes some 200 civilians.

There may be some misapprehension from the honourable member about what is happening in relation to Defence recruitment. But there is certainly no freeze in relation to that. But there are two important components of what is occurring at the present time. First there is the First Principles review, which was provided to the government. The review team members included Mr David Peever, former senator Robert Hill, former Labor finance minister Lindsay Tanner, former Chief of Army General Peter Leahy and one of Australia's leading shipbuilders, Jim McDowall. That group of five experts reported to the government on the corporate structure of the Defence Department in Australia. They came to the conclusion that, to some extent, the middle management of the Defence corporate structure was out of shape. What the secretary of the department, Mr Richardson, is now doing is working through and managing those changes as a result of the implementation of the Peever review. There are a number of reforms, including the winding back into the Defence Department of the former Defence Materiel Organisation.

Secondly, in the forthcoming Defence white paper, there will be a range of new employment opportunities. One thing that is clear in terms of having a capable Defence Force in the future is that we need what are called the enablers—that is, cyberspace surveillance, communications and things like that. That will call upon a new range of skills which will be needed by the Defence Force over the coming years and decades. So yes, there is some some stabilisation of the employment trends in Defence at the present time. Yes, it is important to ensure that places like Bonegilla and Bandiana continue to have the Defence Force personnel which are required, and we are committed to that. And yes, there will be a new range of jobs and opportunities for members of the Australian Defence Force in coming years.