Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

The workforce data detailed in the White Paper and the Strategic Reform Program 'Indicative Workforce Implications' are based on approved allocations at the time of publication and reflect full-time equivalent average numbers. Using the full-time equivalent (FTE) approach, Defence counts full-time and part-time service as one overall quantity.

On 30 July 2008 Defence employed 20,439 full-time equivalent average Australian Public Service (APS) personnel and approximately 704 contractors (noting that contractor reporting mechanisms were not mature in July 2008). As at 30 June 2011, Defence was employing 21,263 full-time equivalent average APS personnel and 552 contractors.

This represents an increase in APS personnel of +824 (+4.0%), and a reduction in contractors of approximately -152 (-21.6%) since 1 July 2008.