Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Defence, in writing, on 21 February 2011:

(1) Are there any funding restrictions in place which would preclude the establishment of any new Australian Army, Air Force and Navy cadets groups in secondary schools and elsewhere in the community; if so, what are these restrictions.

(2) Will the Government consider providing funding to establish more cadets groups in secondary schools and elsewhere in the community; if not, why not.

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

(1) Financial resources do not preclude the establishment of new Australian Defence Force Cadet units in schools or communities.

Defence closely assesses applications for the establishment of new cadet units in order to ensure their enduring viability and to justify the significant Defence investment in time, money and resources.

Funding is not the sole determinant of the ability to establish or maintain a successful cadet unit. Other key factors include the need for strong community support for the establishment and ongoing operation of the cadet unit, appropriate facilities and sufficient young people interested in becoming cadets and adult volunteers interested in devoting the time to supervise these cadets.

The Government has continued the commitment of the former Government in providing an additional 10 million dollars per year for ten years commencing in 2007 with the specific aim of increasing the number of cadet units and cadets.

As a result of this commitment, the number of Navy, Army and Air Force Cadets grew by around 1900 between December 2005 and June 2010.

(2) It is considered that the funding provided by Defence is sufficient to meet the expected growth in Australian Defence Force Cadet numbers and units in the near future. Examples of this growth include the establishment of an Australian Army Cadets school-based unit in Werribee, Victoria; and an Australian Air Force Cadets unit in Murray Bridge, South Australia; both of which will soon become fully operational.

Where the support is present to establish new units beyond those planned by the Services in their annual budget forecasts, Defence would consider this sympathetically in light of competing Defence budget priorities.