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

I thank the member for her question. As a result of the Albanese Labor government's tax plans, every member of the Australian Defence Force and every public servant in the Department of Defence received a tax cut yesterday. That's right across the board, from a civilian dog-handler at RAAF Base Amberley, who, this financial year, will receive a tax cut of $2,197, through to a Navy Leading Seaman medical assistant at Larrakeyah Barracks in Darwin, who will receive a tax cut of $2,047, or to an Air Force vehicle mechanic at RAAF Base Richmond, who will receive a tax cut of $1,463. And that tax cut is twice what those people would have received under the stage 3 tax cuts of those opposite.

This is in addition to wage increases for the Defence Force of eight to nine per cent since the Albanese government came to office, and they are the biggest wage increases that we've seen in the Defence Force in more than a decade. When you combine that with what we've done to improve Defence Force housing, what we've done for Defence families to improve the family health benefit and what we've done to increase retention bonuses, all of this has meant that, for those men and women who choose to wear our nation's uniform, more is being offered and more is being done.

That is actually making a real difference to the challenge of recruitment and retention. Separation rates are now falling and recruitment rates are starting to turn around. By literally valuing our Defence Force personnel more, we are making a thoughtful contribution to workforce planning. Seven weeks ago, the shadow minister said that in eight weeks time, which is now next week, he will be releasing his own detailed workforce plan. Certainly, we are all very much looking forward to that. But so far, his only idea has been to suggest that we take tens of thousands of public servants, from who knows where, cut them and put them into uniform. That idea, he explicitly said, was on the table. I wonder, has that idea worked anywhere in the world ever?

While those opposite are busily barking at the moon, the Albanese Labor government is improving the lives of the men and women who wear our nation's uniform, because we know that it is their service which keeps Australians safe.