Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the Honourable Senator's question:

(1) As at 30 June 2012, there were 57,285 full-time and part-time permanent uniformed personnel employed. This number, like the workforce data detailed in the Strategic Reform Program Indicative Workforce Implications, reflects full-time equivalent average numbers, known as Average Funded Strength (AFS) for military personnel. Using the AFS approach, Defence counts full-time and part-time service as one overall average quantity.

(2) The Government provisioned an additional 1,201 full-time equivalent uniformed personnel for 2010-11 (covering the date 30 June 2011) and 1,375 for 2011-12 (covering the date 1 January 2012) under the White Paper, as reflected in the Strategic Reform Program: Making It Happen booklet and updated at Table 2.14 of the Defence Annual Report 2010-11.

This workforce was allocated to the Services to implement a range of White Paper initiatives including the Defence Capability Plan. The personnel ranged from sailors, soldiers and airmen/women to senior officers on an as needed basis according to the particular White Paper projects and initiatives being actioned, including through the Strategic Reform Program.