John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to give some additional information to Senator Hutchins, who did ask me in the supplementary question, which appeared to amuse some in the chamber, whether the minister could give a guarantee to the Senate that community views on the issue that I was canvassing be taken into account. I did not want to leave that issue hanging, so I will provide a little further information for full and total clarity on this issue.

I did mention that the government had not made any decisions on base consolidation and had not accepted the recommendations of the Pappas report on this issue. I should add that a comprehensive departmental review, including a strategic assessment of defence’s basing requirements and a detailed financial analysis of long-term costs and efficiency gains of different basing mixes, will develop options for changes to the defence estate over a 25- to 30-year period. That will take 12 to 18 months. An independent commission will then be appointed to consider Defence’s recommendations, and I can guarantee that substantial public consultation will be undertaken by the commission before reporting back to government.

I would say to all senators that consultation and full transparency are critical in this process. These decisions, if they are made, do affect communities but they also of course affect, as you would be aware, Mr President, our strategic outlook. I do commend this approach to senators on all sides of the chamber. These are necessarily difficult decisions and they should never be taken lightly.