Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I do indeed stand by the comments I made yesterday. Indeed, I can amplify them and they absolutely confirm the position I communicated to the Senate. To be specific, reserve commando special forces training days have not been cut. Due to the different training requirements across the ranks and trades in the Army Reserve, training days are not allocated per se. The minimum number of days each Army Reserve member needs to complete each year is 20. Two commando jungle warfare exercises in Papua New Guinea were cancelled, due to the focus of the PNG DF and ADF on election security issues and logistics in PNG, and when I and colleagues reported on the involvement of ADF on a big scale in election monitoring in Papua New Guinea it was greeted with warm public approbation. People supported it as precisely what Australia should be doing in helping monitor what turned out to be, by PNG standards, a successful exercise in electing their parliament. ADF was involved in it and I am advised that, in response to that involvement, two commando jungle warfare exercises in PNG were cancelled due to the focus of the PNG DF and ADF on that big logistical task of election security and logistics. This had nothing to do with budget—nothing to do with it.