Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House recognises:

(1) the importance of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) cadets organisations in building the responsible citizens of tomorrow;

(2) that cadets:

(a) learn important life and work skills, team work, leadership, confidence and responsibility through participation in the Navy, Army and Air Force cadets organisations; and

(b) assist local communities through volunteer engagement, community services and fund raising, which is fostered and encouraged through the ADF cadets organisations; and

(3) the important role that ADF cadets play in contributing to our Defence Force of the future and building a stronger Australia.

Texas State High School on the south-west highland downs never had cadets. By the time I went to boarding school, I was out of that mould where we could have had cadets. But one of the very many good things about becoming a local member is the ability to go round to schools, and to go round to cadet corps and to see the type of people that are involved there—interacting with cadets, their tutors and their senior people in those organisations.

Townsville is blessed in being a great garrison city, among other things. We have a very strong and vibrant cadet force. You find that the things they have in common are great kids and great adults helping them out. The people who give their time—some of whom are paid, just a little bit—are paid back more than that in the attitude they get from their kids, the respect for the uniform and all that sort of stuff that goes with being a cadet.

The thing I like about the cadets is that it sets them on the road. I do not think there is anything untoward about saying that the cadets would probably be the nation's best youth leadership program. It bases its format on trust and respect, not only for yourself but for others, the uniform and the equipment. It also bases itself on discipline, getting opportunities and making the most of them. In an era where we have high youth unemployment and disengagement with society, the cadets fill that spot for so many kids. We are lucky in Townsville. As I said, the RAAF cadets that base themselves at Air Base Townsville at Garbutt have fantastic facilities. The Townville RAAF base does a great job of making sure that these kids have everything they need. Heatley state high school has a great band of cadets in Townville and is well disposed inside that high school.

Our Navy cadets, however, have a few issues, as well as our Army cadets at Lavarack Barracks. I would like to place on record my thanks to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, the member for Gippsland, for the way he has given me an open hearing and has been very abiding of his time and ideas around how we get a good result for my Navy cadets and Army cadets at Lavarack in Townsville. The Navy cadets are going to lose their premises, not because they have not been good tenants or anything like that but because the company is expanding and it will need the building back. Additionally, in the facilities that they had, there was some of those ridiculous things where, instead of bringing the petition to a certain level, they took it to the ceiling; it is now a fire risk and they cannot have sleepovers or camps. The Townsville Navy cadets base is probably the best space, but it goes basically from Bundaberg all the way through to the Torres Strait. The ability not to be able to have camps there is a real bane of their existence.

The Army cadets at Lavarack, who work in demountables, have an issue about getting on and off the base. Of course, it is an Army base; it is not lit for pedestrian traffic after hours. Quite often you will have kids going through, two cadets, and parents trying to find their way through there. It is not the most hospitable place to try and get all the way into the bowels of Lavarack Barracks. With the landing helicopter dock ship, we will be doing a lot of work in Townsville. The ADF will have a lot of organisation to do around Townsville port. There will have to be building facilities there with staging posts and so on. What if we could get a facility and add value to the defence investment in that space at that area in south Townville, which is easy and central for everyone to get to? You could co-locate your Navy cadets and all their equipment with your Lavarack based Army cadets and all their equipment. They could have a parade in which to march and all the facilities, as well as camping facilities for cadets overnight.

I finish by saying thank you, again, to all those people who get involved with cadets and all the adults who work so hard in trying to make sure that cadets have a great experience. They do not necessarily go through and join the ADF. Army cadets do not necessarily join the infantry. But it gives them the life skills of being able to work together as a team and understand the chain of command and the role they play in the organisation. It is a truly great organisation. It something which we as a parliament should foster and encourage much more. Again, I thank the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Darren Chester, for all his work in this space.

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