Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For over 125 years, the Salvation Army Sallyman has supported and boosted the morale of our defence personnel. Whether outfield, on operations or back home, members know they can trust the Sallyman for support, pastoral care and a listening ear. One soldier shared with me that he had been in a dark place and that, without the Sallyman, he wouldn't be here today. That's the kind of support you can't put a price on, yet this Labor government has. They've axed all $1.5 million of funding for our Sallymen. This heartless cut has sparked outrage and disbelief among service members, veterans and their families. In Townsville, Australia's largest garrison city, our defence personnel feel abandoned by this Labor government. A soldier told me, 'They seem to know the cost of everything but the value of very little. I'm disheartened by this decision.'

I ask the Prime Minister: Is this funding cut worth the hit to morale it's making across our ADF? Did this Labor government consult with our soldiers before ripping away funding for the Sallyman? At a time when the government should be acting on the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, this prime minister cuts the Sallyman. He has no clue, no shame, and our Defence Force deserves better.