David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 20 August 2012:

With reference to the White Paper and the Strategic Reform Program 'Indicative Workforce Implications - Military Workforce': For the period 1 January to 30 June 2012, what reduction was made in the number of personnel, including full-time and part-time, employed in implementing: (a) efficiency improvements; (b) civilianisation: and (c) support productivity improvements?

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

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

With reference to the White Paper and the Strategic Reform Program 'Indicative Workforce Implications - Military Workforce', for the period 1 January to 30 June 2012:

(a) Implementation of the efficiency improvements component of the Strategic Reform Program, which includes Shared Services initiatives and business improvement within Groups and Services, has led to a reduction of 82 military positions.

(b) Civilianisation is part of the Defence's workforce reforms element of Workforce Reform and Shared Services and forms part of Defence's move to establish the best mix of its non-combat-related workforce and to enable have the military workforce to focus on primarily undertake combat or combat related roles.

Civilianisation requires the dis-establishment of a military position, and the establishment and recruitment to an Australian Public Service position. Where the position is being filled by the military member moving to the Australian Public Service under Section 72 of the Public Service Act 1999, there is no discontinuity in the positions being established/ dis-established, and filled.

A phased implementation has realised 156 Average Funded Strength reductions across the 2011/12 financial year.

(c) With regards to implementing the support productivity improvements component of the Strategic Reform Program, there was no reduction in the number of full-time equivalent personnel employed. The support productivity improvements component of the Strategic Reform Program is a continuous improvement plan scheduled to commence in financial year 2014-15, following on from the completed implementation of the other Workforce and Shared Services components of the Strategic Reform Program.