Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, I present the committee's report entitled Review of the Defence annual report 2015-16.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—It is often said that there is no greater constitutional responsibility for any federal government and elected federal representatives than the defence and security of our nation and of our people.

The Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is seeking to engage more strategically over the longer term to provide more effective parliamentary oversight and engagement in Defence policy implementation.

The review activities of the subcommittee have been realigned to the Defence annual report reporting cycle and the subcommittee is taking a more focused approach to analysis and testing of reported reform progress.

The Defence subcommittee's examination of strategic reforms reported in this annual report review has provided encouraging evidence of positive reform progress being made on the first principles review implementation.

The subcommittee notes that these reforms are a long-term multigovernmental journey.

It is the subcommittee's view that the parliament, through the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, can, and should, provide greater oversight of and support for long-term reforms.

This review of the Defence annual report 2015-16 is the first undertaken by the Defence Subcommittee of the 45th Parliament.

In line with the committee's intent to provide more effective parliamentary oversight and support, the review focuses on six key themes:

First and foremost, the subcommittee recognises the dedication and commitment of the service men and women of the Australian Defence Force and their Australian Public Service counterparts who support them.

The subcommittee commends them on the outstanding service they provide to our nation.

The subcommittee also acknowledges that members of the ADF are supported by a network of families, friends and loved ones and that their support should also be acknowledged.

As well as taking a keen and ongoing interest in the reform program, the subcommittee is also taking a keen interest in the Defence re-equipment program.

The subcommittee supports the re-equipment program and supports a comprehensive approach to long-term certainty in Defence capability delivery and organisational reform.

The subcommittee also acknowledges the efficiencies and benefits gained through the establishment of the Australian Defence headquarters and the allocation of joint capability authority responsibilities to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force.

The subcommittee is deeply appreciative and expresses its gratitude and respect for the service given by all of Australia's veterans and notes the challenges that many of them, and their family and friends, face as a consequence of their service.

I would like, on behalf of the committee, to take this opportunity to assure veterans and their families that the Defence subcommittee is also taking an ongoing interest in the services provided to veterans and the effectiveness of the support to members of the ADF who transition to life outside the ADF.

In this report, the subcommittee has made a series of recommendations on immediate and longer term reforms and has also identified issues that it will continue to monitor closely in 2018.

Finally, I'd like to acknowledge the chair, Senator Reynolds, and the committee members for their hard work, and, most importantly, the committee secretariat. And finally, I particularly thank Colonel Colin Blyth, who was promoted only this week, I think, for his wonderful service as the Defence adviser to the committee. I wish him well as he moves onto another job.

I commend the report the House.