David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Senator, that is not correct. The Parliamentary Budget Office figure of 3.9 per cent average growth for total wages and salaries over the forward estimates does not reflect changes to Defence workforce levels. The claim in the article which I am sure you are drawing your question from that the quantum for operational allowances paid to deployed personnel is linked to base pay is clearly incorrect. That is where I think you have, if I may say so, fallen into a misunderstanding of what is going on. Allowances are not calculated as a loading on base pay and there is no link between the workplace arrangement and operational allowances. Since 1999, Defence has had two distinct allowances payable in operational situations—international campaign allowance for warlike operations and deployment allowance for non-warlike operations. The quantum of allowances is calculated having regard to an assessment of the level of operational and environmental hazards that exist for each operation. There is a— (Time expired)