Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion, and I thank the member for Canning for this motion. The Australian Defence Force Cadets is arguably Australia's best youth personal development program. It's supported by the ADF, in cooperation with local communities across the country. The program benefits the nation by developing the capacity of Australian youth to contribute to society, while fostering, I think, an interest and a potential career for many of them in the Australian Defence Force. It's quite clear that they develop ongoing communitarian spirit from their time in the ADF Cadets.

As has been said, it compromises three cadet organisations, administered by the fairly newly established ADF Cadets headquarters—Navy, Army and Air Force—and they're responsible, of course, for these cadets in the headquarters across the country. There are currently—and the numbers go up, as with any organisation—about 24½ thousand cadets and 4½ thousand officers, instructors and approved helpers in more than 500 ADF cadet units across the country, including several in the electorate of Blair. As well as developing critical life skills, like leadership, teamwork, respect, unity and discipline, ADF Cadets programs engender a spirit of service, civics and Australian values in participants. I think it clearly improves the diversity of the ADF, and you can see that from the number of people from ethnic backgrounds in the cadets that I have seen across my electorate.

While the ADF Cadets program enjoys very strong bipartisan support, Labor has also been a very big believer in the program. When last in government, my colleague Dr Mike Kelly, the member for Eden-Monaro, commissioned a major review of the ADF Cadets scheme back in 2008. It led to a stronger focus on ADF Cadets and better funding, allowing new units to form. It also identified a number of challenges, as you would expect, and I'm sure the member for Eden-Monaro, when he is speaking, will have more to say about that review. I also want to thank the former Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, former senator David Feeney, who did much to champion cadets across the country and came to Ipswich to meet with local cadets when Labor was last in government.

As the shadow minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel, with responsibility for cadets on our side of the chamber, I intend to build on Labor's strong record in this space. There have been a number of significant changes to the ADF Cadets program in recent years. Defence, for example, is trying to improve its safety and child protection regime in response to findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse around abuse within ADF cadet organisations. A number of initiatives have been rolled out to improve cadet programs and provide a better experience for participants. The Australian Army Cadets transformation program has contributed to improvements in governance, accountability and training, with new resources and electives like robotics being added, and a growth in volunteer numbers. Under the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation program, the RAAF is purchasing gliders and leasing aircraft to provide flight training, which has been exciting for young cadets involved.

I've had the privilege of engaging with a number of cadet units in and around the electorate of Blair. There's the Army cadet unit, for example, 127 ACU based near Queens Park in Ipswich Central. The Navy cadet unit, TS Ipswich, is based in Ipswich Central at the same location. There's an Army cadet unit in Springfield, and there are Air Force cadet units at RAAF Base Amberley, Australia's largest Air Force base. I'm pleased to have recently participated in the ADF Parliamentary Program at Amberley with the Joint Logistics Unit. The Air Force cadet unit there is called 225 Squadron. I see these cadets around the country and particularly in my electorate participating in country shows on Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and other days of important memory to this country, particularly at the RAAF base around Ipswich and the Somerset region, as well as being involved in honour guards and catafalque parties. There is a whole range of involvement they engage in.

Cadet units have told me they want to contribute and be involved in these types of programs. I think we can do more to assist ADF cadet units that are struggling for resources in this country. We made great strides in integrating cadet units into the broader ADF in recent years, and we should encourage the three services to take a greater interest in cadet programs. Like scouts and the Girls & Boys Brigade, this is an important youth program. It teaches discipline, commitment, respect and contribution. I thank the cadets for the contribution they make.

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