Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Paterson for his question because it provides an opportunity to outline the specific circumstances of this particular issue. At the outset, I make absolutely clear the government’s commitment to ensuring that our service personnel and their families receive their correct entitlements. The Air Force is currently undertaking the development of a new capability, which is known as the special tactics flight, within No. 4 Squadron based at RAAF Base Williamtown. This involves Air Force personnel who undertake specific training to enable them to undertake a range of activities, including operations with special forces. However, the members of No. 4 Squadron are not special forces personnel. When they are deployed on operations or conducting associated training they have an entitlement to a component of the special forces disability allowance. This allowance is paid in recognition of the hazard and stress associated with service within the special forces environment that they of course experience.

I am advised that in April this year, not June as I think the member for Paterson indicated, a directive from the Chief of the Defence Force created eligibility for this allowance to these members and indicated that the allowance would be paid on an occurrence basis—that is, when the capability is in use or when people are in training or in operations, rather than as a continuous payment. At the same time, the CDF also approved the back pay of this entitlement for those deployed or trained prior to April 2009 when eligibility for the allowance was created. The training began in 2007. When transactions related to this allowance, after its generation in April, were loaded onto the pay system at the end of September 2009, I am advised that they were incorrectly loaded at a continuous rate.

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