Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question's to the Deputy Prime Minister. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to turn around recruitment and retention of our Australian Defence Force personnel after a lost decade?

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

I acknowledge and thank the member for his question and acknowledge his distinguished service in the Australian Army. When this government came to power, we inherited a defence force that was shrinking. Indeed, when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for Defence, the ADF shrunk by 1,400 personnel.

Over the last 2½ years, we've taken some really important steps to start to turn this around. We've improved the offering around Defence housing for Defence families, we've increased their access to Defence health, we have widened the number of courses that our Defence Force personnel can study, and we've increased Defence wages. Because of all of this, we've now seen the separation rates in Defence drop from 11 per cent down to the long-term average of nine per cent, and, for the first time in three years, the Defence Force is now growing. There's a theme here: housing, health, education and wages. Just as in the wider community, these are the issues which matter to our Defence Force personnel. In each of these areas, not only in Defence but really across the country, the Albanese government is making a difference.

Today the government released its 2024 Defence Workforce Plan, and it includes an expansion of the continuation bonus such that we will be offering a second bonus to those in the seven-to-nine-year service band, which will bolster our middle ranks, which is where we need people the most. We are improving retention, we are increasing recruitment and we are now growing the Defence Force of the future. When those opposite were in power, they talked a big game about growing the Defence Force. They promised to increase it by 18½ thousand Defence Force personnel. But, in truth, there was nothing behind that. They didn't remotely properly fund that. It really was just a couple of press releases, and the fact is that, when they governed, the Defence Force shrank. The gap between their promises and their reality could not have been more stark. The Liberals have no credibility when it comes to Defence or the welfare of our Defence Force personnel.

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

Order! The member for Herbert will cease interjecting.

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

But, on this side of the House, the Albanese government is making the difficult decisions and, most importantly, we are funding them to build the Defence Force of our future to keep Australians safe.