Stephen Conroy Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
2:54 pm
My question is to Senator Johnston, the Minister for Defence. I refer the minister to the government's unfair pay deal for Australian Defence Force personnel that cuts their real pay and conditions and an article on the news.com.au website on 6 November where an unnamed soldier says:
… the government that I have sworn to protect and serve, and that up to this point have been enormously proud to do so, has signed off on a deal that is essentially a kick in the teeth to every Soldier, Airmen, & Sailor.
Will the minister listen to this sailor and ensure that the government reconsiders this despicable decision?
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
2:55 pm
Does anybody seriously believe that we would want to reduce the terms and conditions of soldiers?
Stephen Conroy Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
You have! Yes, we believe it!
Stephen Conroy Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
About 50,000 of our service personnel believe it.
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
The only reason—if I can get a word in edgeways, because the next bit they do not want to hear—we are in the position we are in—
Stephen Conroy Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
A 'no excuse' government!
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
is because of the negligent mismanagement of the opposition when they were in government. They were absolutely hopeless in managing the chequebook and the budget, taking $16 billion out of Defence. Not only did they put our national security in jeopardy but, of course, right across the board government departments were overpaid. We were left in a position where we now have to repair the budget. This is the legacy—
Kim Carr Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science
Did you say they are overpaid? Did you say our soldiers are overpaid?
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
I might say, Mr President, in every other part of Australia when the going gets tough people tighten their belt. We are saying it is only fair, with $667 billion coming over the horizon in debt, that Canberra has to tighten its belt, because this is the legacy that Labor has left us. This is the no wriggle room—
Senator Kim Carr interjecting —
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
Do we want to bequeath to our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren the level of debt that you guys just ran up on a credit card? And you could not care less.
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
You are bellyaching about 4.5 per cent of ABC cuts over five years when you took 10 per cent out of the Defence budget in just one year, which was more than $2½ billion—that is the sort of management that we came to expect from you. That is why the Australian people gave you a fair dinkum boot up the backside at the last election.
Stephen Conroy Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
2:57 pm
Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to the same article and, again, I quote the unnamed soldier, who said:
I am an Australian Soldier and, for the first time in eleven years, I am thoroughly disgusted to be one.
This is not my fight, it’s the fight of every serving member …
Minister, why do ADF personnel have to fight this government for fair pay and conditions?
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
2:58 pm
Senator Conroy—may I say through you, Mr President—where were you when you delivered two pay rises below the rate of inflation? What were you saying then? You are not even blushing. You are not even embarrassed. You delivered two pay rises below the rate of inflation. And you just sat on your hands—
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
when you delayed 42 programs in the Defence Capability Plan—some of them—
Stephen Conroy Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Oh, back to that!
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
Back to that, because some of them involved force protection of soldiers. Where were you then?
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
Where were you then when you had—and I note you have some people from ASC—a frigate program $350 million over budget and, with submarines, nothing happening at all over six years? Where were you then? All you could do was take money out of the Defence portfolio, and we are repairing that damage. You should be very embarrassed about your performance in government.
Stephen Conroy Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
2:59 pm
Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer the minister to the government's decision to cut the members with dependants food allowance for ADF personnel, worth $4,900 a year, replacing it with a one-off payment of $385 a year. How is it in any way justified for the government to leave some ADF members and their families more than $4,500 worse off a year?
David Johnston WA, Liberal Party
They are not worse off. They are getting a 4.5 per cent rise over three years. Some of these adjustments are because of the government's template demanding productivity. That is what—
If you are interested in the answer, that is what your Prime Minister said in her administrative order in May 2013. So you set the parameters for productivity for Public Service pay rises. What you are trying to say is that we are the ogres here. You are the ones who actually delivered two pay rises below the rate of inflation. Of course, you do not want to hear me say that to you because everything you throw at us over here when we are trying to legitimately repair your mess, you did in spades—$16 billion out of the portfolio, leaving defence completely at odds to try to run its business. (Time expired)
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.