Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence. I refer to the minister's comments last Friday, when asked about the Royal Australian Navy's involvement in Operation Sovereign Borders. The minister said he was 'not aware of operational matters'. However, the Chief of the Defence Force and the Department of Defence are responsible for the health and safety of Defence Force personnel under the Work Health and Safety Act—a duty which, according to section 14 of that act, cannot be transferred. How can the minister possibly carry out his obligation to ensure the health and safety of our Navy personnel if he is not aware of what they are being asked to do as part of Operation Sovereign Borders?