Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and for Defence Personnel. Has the minister ever advocated to expand recruitment to the Australian Defence Force beyond the Five Eyes countries?

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

I thank the member for his question and for his great interest in expanding our Defence Force, because I think, as we all know in this chamber, it's important that we grow the size of the Australian Defence Force, especially given the geostrategic circumstances that we face. It's most unfortunate that, when we came to government, we faced a situation where the numbers in our Defence Force were going backwards. This has meant that we have had to be bold when we've looked at what to do to grow our Australian Defence Force. That has meant looking at issues such as how we can engage the permanent resident population of Australia. I was very pleased, along with the Deputy Prime Minister, to be able to announce earlier this week—

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

Order.

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

Mr Speaker, really?

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

You can resume your seat. You don't need to 'Mr Speaker' me. I give the call to the Leader of the Opposition.

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

Out of respect to you and to the House, could the minister please answer the question? It was: has the minister ever advocated to expand recruitment to the Australian Defence Force to people beyond the Five Eyes countries? It was tight. Nothing—

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

Resume your seat.

The Chief Government Whip will cease interjecting. I just remind the opposition leader that it's not an opportunity to restate the question, but I appreciate that he is entitled to raise the point of order on relevance. The minister was asked about policy regarding recruitment, so he's going to have to now, at just under one minute in with a preamble, address the question, take it on notice or resume his seat. The minister has the call.

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

As I was trying to get to, the policy that we announced this week, which is very important, about expanding our Defence Force, looking at how we can use permanent residents and making sure that they're suitably vetted goes to New Zealanders from July this year and goes to permanent residents in Australia from Five Eyes nations from 1 January. As I said on Tuesday, as did the Deputy Prime Minister, we have spoken about then looking at our Pacific island neighbours—those that are in our region—and we'll look in that direction after we've moved through New Zealanders in July and then other Five Eyes nations from 1 January. That's what I've spoken about and that's what I've advocated for, and I thank the member for his interest in this, as much as I also thank the member for Canning for his support for the same policy approach as well.

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will cease interjecting so I can hear from the member from Macnamara.