Russell Trood (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In July this year I once again had the pleasure of participating in the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. On this occasion, I was joined by my colleague from the other place Mr Secker, the member for Barker. We were able to observe at close hand, courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy, the biennial RIMPAC exercises taking place in the waters off Hawaii. RIMPAC is the largest maritime exercise of its kind anywhere in the world and this year drew together elements of the armed forces of 10 Pacific and NATO countries.

Australia is one of only three countries that has participated in every RIMPAC exercise since its inception. This year the participating elements of the ADF included HMAS Anzac, HMAS Waller, HMAS Success and HMAS Tobruk, the Australian Clearance Diving Team Four, two AP3C Orion search aircraft from 30 Squadron at RAAF Base Edinburgh, with their crews and maintenance staff, and a team of amphibs. In addition, a significant number of Australian defence personnel were assigned to key headquarters and leadership roles for the exercise. In this context I particularly wish to mention Commodore Brian Johnston who acted as COMFLOT for the exercise. The several days I spent with Australian forces as part of RIMPAC once again underscored the extraordinary value and importance of the ADFP program. I take this opportunity to encourage all senators to consider participating in it during their term of office.

This year I spent time with each of the Australian and some of the American units participating in RIMPAC. I am especially grateful to the captain and crew of HMAS Anzac for their generous hospitality while I was on board and to the captain and crew of HMAS Success for the equally friendly and hospitable way they welcomed me. The officers and crews of these ships, together with the members of the diving team and the RAAF unit we visited, gave of their valuable time cheerfully and helpfully and made my close association with the ADF both a memorable and very valuable experience.

The great value of the ADFP program is that it provides senators and members with the opportunity to learn more about our Defence Force. Among other things, it offers insight into the roles, tasks and missions of individual units, the quality of the platforms and equipment we provide for them and, surely not least, the conditions and circumstances under which the men and women of the ADF serve in defence of our security.

On the subject of personnel, let me say that as Australians we are very fortunate indeed in having such a dedicated group of professionals so thoroughly committed to their duties as members of our three services. They are required to perform in often difficult, generally challenging and frequently dangerous circumstances. While they have made this career choice themselves, we who benefit from their dedication need to recognise that being a member of the ADF makes unique demands on the individuals who serve and on their families. We should as a matter of the highest priority ensure that they are looked after both as they serve and subsequently. Doing this effectively is surely an important part of meeting the current challenge we face to improve recruiting and retention in the services. My recent experience with the ADFPP leads me to conclude that we still have some way to go in meeting this challenge, at least as far as Navy goes.

Remuneration is clearly not the only reason people join, continue in or leave the Navy but, understandably, it is a material consideration. In discussions I had with some junior and senior sailors it was clear that there are some obvious issues here. These have less to do with general rates of pay than with the reality that the value of allowances is often greatly diminished by the levels at which they are taxed and by other considerations. Some consideration to reducing the marginal tax rate of allowances, or perhaps offering tax-free benefits, could well pay significant dividends in recruiting and retention. Extending full health benefits to families could also make a difference, though clearly these measures would be a considerable drain on resources. Several other matters came to my attention during the program. The efficiency of the Navy spare parts supply chain would seem to require review. Equally, the operational efficiency of some units is being affected by delays in the acquisition of critical pieces of new equipment.

On the more positive side, I was delighted during my program to have the opportunity to spend several hours aboard the United States amphibious ship USS Bon Homme Richard. Although a much larger vessel than the two amphibious LHDs ordered for the Australian Navy, the visit provided me with valuable insight into the wide range of capabilities provided by this type of ship and encouraged me in my belief that when the Royal Australian Navy takes delivery of its new ships it will add enormous and valuable capability to the ADF.

Another facet my visit was the opportunity to meet a number of young Australian sailors participating in the new gap year program for school leavers. While frank about their experiences in the program, the sailors I spoke to were, for the most part, very positive about its value. Several have already decided as a result of their exposure to naval life to make a career in the service.

It was clear from the week I spent with our forces at RIMPAC that participation in the exercise provides the Navy with invaluable operational experience and training in working with the maritime forces of other countries. Enhancing skills in antisubmarine warfare, mine clearance and replenishment at sea, together with practice in live firing drills, missile testing and war gaming, all aim to enhance our force’s readiness to deal with the threats that we trust will never come but for which we nevertheless need to be prepared.

In closing, I extend my sincere thanks to Commander Fiona McNaught from Navy headquarters who so capably organised my program and whose company during my visit to RIMPAC ensured that everything ran smoothly. Commander McNaught is about to take up a new post at HMAS Creswell and I wish her well in relation to her new duties. I am sure she will discharge those duties with considerable distinction.