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

My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel. Was it ever the policy of the government to accept foreign nationals from any country permanently resident in Australia into the Australian Defence Force from 1 January next year?

Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Canning for his question about the government's initiative to increase recruitment into our Defence Force, because, as he well knows, when he was Assistant Minister for Defence the recruitment of members into our Defence Force was a critical issue. And, whilst they accepted that they needed to grow the Defence Force, what we actually saw during their term in office was that the numbers going into defence were declining—

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

The minister will pause. The member for Barker is warned—and he can stop eating whatever he's eating at the moment as well. It's the fourth time that's happened.

Okay. Well, if it's ice, chew slowly.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! The minister wasn't asked about opposition policy; he was asked about the government's policy. I'm just going to make sure that he is being directly relevant. So that's not an excuse to go back in time.

Order! The member for Canning has asked his question. I'll just make sure he's being directly relevant. He's entitled to some compare and contrast. But we've had 30 seconds of a preamble. We'll now get back to the question.

Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is important to put into context why we need to be bold in our adoption of policy when it comes to growing our Defence Force—and that's exactly what we have done. So, along with a large swathe of policies, we have announced a policy to grow our Defence Force from our permanent resident population. That's exactly what I and the Deputy Prime Minister announced yesterday. We're very happy with that policy because it goes straight to the part of making sure that we are addressing the issues confronting our Defence Force.

Now, I know it's difficult for the member for Canning, and clearly it's difficult for the Leader of the Opposition.

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

Resume your seat. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

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

It's on relevance. The question was very tight. The minister yesterday gave three different versions, at odds with the Minister for Defence, and we're asking him very directly: was it ever the government's policy, what he actually announced and then was forced to retract yesterday?

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

The minister is able to talk about the policy if he wishes to answer it in a direct way, but he has got to remain directly relevant. That means, for the remainder of his answer, he should not talk about opposition policy, because he wasn't asked about that in the question; he was asked about government policy. He shall return to the question. I can't make him answer in a certain way. I can make sure that the minister is being directly relevant.

Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's policy is as announced yesterday by the Deputy Prime Minister and me. As we both said yesterday in very clear terms, we are extending eligibility for people to apply to join the Defence Force to those that are permanent residents from New Zealand from 1 July next year and from Five Eyes nations from 1 January if they've been here for a year as a permanent resident, haven't served in a foreign military, are otherwise eligible for citizenship and, of course, pass all the relevant security vetting requirements.

What's really important about this policy and very important about the question just asked by the member for Canning is: not only is that the government's policy; it's a policy that the member for Canning also endorsed in May of last year, when he went out saying that we should be increasing recruitment from noncitizens of Australia. He endorsed this policy. In fact, when I spoke about this policy in January of this year, he came out and endorsed my comments, calling for this policy. I thank the opposition for their support of the government's policy as the Deputy Prime Minister and I announced.