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

I thank you Senator Macdonald. Come on in, spinner; come on in. He wants to try and pretend that if you give someone a 1.5 per cent pay increase in nominal dollars and inflation rises three per cent, that that is not a real pay cut. That is what those opposite are going to stand up here and try and argue today.

What is the situation when it comes to hypocrisy and inconsistency from those opposite? When Labor was in government over the past three years, ADF pay increased by an average of three per cent—double what you are supporting today. What did the Liberals say when Labor was putting in place a three per cent pay increase? They railed against it. The now assistant minister for Defence called it 'outrageous'—three per cent was outrageous. If a three per cent increase is outrageous, what does the assistant Defence minister call a real pay cut—which is what he is handing to our serving personnel? It is disgraceful. It is an absolute disgrace what has gone on and the hypocrisy, the attack and the criticism of just three per cent, keeping up with inflation, but then offer a real pay cut.

This motion is urgent today, because if the government wanted to, if those opposite had the guts to stand up on behalf of Defence personnel, if the minister and the assistant minister had the guts, they would vote for this. It is time the Prime Minister showed some leadership, because the clock is ticking. The government has until 1 December to ask the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal to reconsider its determination and, in doing so, the government is able to set out the grounds on which the reconsideration is being sought.

Tell the truth: we budgeted for up to four per cent; we can afford to do it. Given the outrage within ADF ranks, their families and the wider community, there are undoubtedly sufficient grounds upon which to appeal this decision. In particular, the government should set out for the tribunal that its original offer was unfair and wrong, particularly in the light of the budget allocation. They could set out that it is affecting morale and is likely to affect recruitment. They could set out that it has caused a backlash across the whole ADF—servicemen and women and their families—and the wider community. It should be changed to ensure a fair deal for our ADF personnel. (Time expired)