Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to raise my concerns with a Defence proposal to close a number of barracks in South Australia, including two in my electorate—the Keswick and Hampstead barracks. This has caused a lot of concern within the community, particularly for Lieutenant Colonel Murray Alexander of the Defence Reserves Association and Jock Statton, the president of the South Australian RSL. There are some very real concerns about the impact any such closure would have on recruitment and retention, particularly amongst reservists. Today I call on the Minister for Defence to conduct a formal study consulting with all of these stakeholders before any decision is made so that we can all be clear about what the consequences of any such cost-cutting measure would be.