Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister explain the government's policy of watering down the entry requirements for service in the Australian Defence Force?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. Today we have announced that, as of 1 July, we will be allowing New Zealand citizens who have been permanent residents of our country for at least a year to join the Defence Force if they pass all the appropriate security checks required for anyone who joins the Defence Force. That is a positive step forward in terms of increasing the pool of available people to join Australia's Defence Force.

This was flagged in the National Defence Strategy, which I announced just over a month ago, which indicated we would be looking to non-Australians to join the Australian Defence Force, with a view to dealing with the question of the recruitment and retention issues that we face within the Australian Defence Force—and not just that, but looking forward to 2040 to put ourselves in a position where we can grow the Australian Defence Force.

We know that, when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for Defence, we saw the Australian Defence Force shrink. That is the reality of what we have faced. Since coming to power, we have improved the offer in terms of terms and conditions to those who serve in our nation's Defence Force through a better housing package and through retention bonuses, such that the separation rate in the Defence Force has fallen. And, indeed, in respect of recruitment, we are starting to turn that around as well. But it is an important step to open the door to a broader range of people to join our Defence Force.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was relevant!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll hear the point of order. I don't need assistance from members on my right.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was a very tight question. The minister's advice now is contrary to or at least deficient in its advice compared to the junior minister, who provided a different account of how this would work. It goes well beyond New Zealand citizens, as you well know, and has broader application. Perhaps the minister could provide us with the actual detail.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, for the second time, he's arguing a point that wasn't in the question. I know he may now have further questions to ask regarding the minister's answer. He was asked to explain the policy about entrants to the Australian Defence Force. I'm unaware of any other announcements that have been made, so I can only deal with what he's been asked. If there's subsequent information that the leader is requesting, he'll be able to do that another time. For the time being, at this moment in time, he's being directly relevant. He's talking about the policy, how it happened, why it's happened and the execution of the policy. Under the standing orders, he is being directly relevant.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We are walking down this path and doing so in a careful, slow and calibrated way. As I said, from 1 July, with those conditions in place around having been a permanent resident for a year at least and the appropriate security checks, if you are from New Zealand you will be able to join the Defence Force. From 1 January, that will be extended to other Five Eyes countries. In the future, we are having an eye to the Pacific. That is what we are doing. But what we learned from the question that has been asked by the shadow minister and from the interjection of the Leader of the Opposition now is that there are no bounds that they won't cross in order to run a scare campaign and blow any single whistle that they can find!