Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Defence. Minister, earlier today in Senate estimates hearings on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, documents were tabled detailing your government’s cuts in pays and allowances to ADF members engaged in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. Because the government did not think these changes through properly and, instead, backdated them to August 2007, the documents tabled today revealed that a significant number of our SAS members have now incurred debts of up to $30,000 and, due to debt recovery, these elite men and women have been left with a take-home pay of only $250 per fortnight and interest on their debts at 7.2 per cent. Minister, will you immediately intervene to overturn this abhorrent cut to the pay and allowances of our fighting men and women and, importantly, step in without delay to protect the estates of the five brave men who made the supreme sacrifice in active service in Afghanistan—namely, Trooper David Pearce, Sergeant Matthew Locke, Private Luke Worsley, Lance Corporal Jason Marks and SAS Signaller Sean McCarthy?

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Paterson for his question. I am aware of the very, very serious issue he raises and can report to the House that the problem facing our special forces soldiers relates to a decision of the independent Defence Remuneration Tribunal of August 2007. I can also report that special forces headquarters has been working on this issue for some time. I can further report that Defence has agreed to stop any recovery of those, what might be deemed to be, overpayments.

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Baldwin interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The question has been asked.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that all members of the House will agree and, indeed, all members of the Australian community will agree that all of our servicemen and women, but in particular in this case our special forces who are doing such important and dangerous work in Afghanistan, are due every consideration and every reward for the work they do. I can guarantee to the House that this problem will be fixed.