Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

There is a suggestion that I somehow signed a backdated provision, which is just ridiculous. The tribunal makes its decisions on a regular basis retrospectively. It is required under the act not to make any retrospective decision that could disadvantage a member of the Australian Defence Force. In this case, there should not have been any disadvantage, because what the tribunal had suggested or directed is that allowances be merged with salary, which would have been and should have been of advantage to the soldiers. But, when the computer systems tried to merge the allowances with the salaries, there was an inability to recognise the competencies which are required to secure those allowances. In some cases it was because the competencies were gained or earned informally and sometimes it was because the competencies were just not accepted by the computer system.

Some time ago I suggested that a non-reduction period should be established acting both retrospectively and prospectively to ensure that there are no debts and that soldiers have time to gain the competencies required, to establish them formally. The most recent advice the Chief of Army has is that he now has the power to give more formal recognition to competencies which were formerly considered to be informal. So these are very complex issues. They are issues that we have inherited because of underinvestment in these systems over many years. I said I would fix this problem. The Chief of Army is acting in good faith to fix it as quickly as possible. In the meantime we have put provisions in place to ensure no Defence member is financially disadvantaged.

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