Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer the minister to a petition signed by more than 60,000 people calling on the government to improve its unfair pay deal for Australian Defence Force personnel. Is the minister aware of a recent meeting between the petitioners and his junior minister in which Mr Robert insulted the organisers, comparing their petition for a fair deal on ADF pay to a petition that called for cheaper beer? Does the minister think that this is an appropriate way for his junior minister to behave?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, it is an important issue. Pay is always an important issue, particularly for men and women in uniform. I was not at that meeting. I have not received any information in support of your contention. I am therefore very reluctant to comment on it. Defence Force pay issues are always at the front of this government's mind. The relationship we have with our uniformed personnel is very good and strong. Indeed, I think the relationship that we have with uniforms as a government stands in complete and stark contrast to the derision that the former government was held in by uniformed personnel, which took so much money out of the defence budget, having had to deal with a chronic shortage of resources in managing a Defence Force capability plan. While the Labor Party was in power, the current Chief of Army said that further funding cuts to defence would risk soldiers' lives. That is what you have bequeathed to us. That is what we are repairing. Dealing, as we have, with tough measures on pay, we are seeking to provide the necessary resources so that our men and women in the field can have the full benefit of a properly resourced Defence Force.

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Senator Back interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy and Senator Back.

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Because he says that he is not aware, I would like to advise him that the petitioners were so concerned at the assistant minister's dismissive attitude that they ended the meeting early, saying that the government is 'arrogant, ill-informed and self-centred'. Will the minister contact the petitioners to apologise for Mr Robert's behaviour?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take that question, and I will speak to the Assistant Minister for Defence to verify the facts. I do not think I can take it any further, Senator.

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Thank you, Minister. I again refer the minister to the petitioners who have said, 'We will not go away and we will be heard. The government will ignore us at their peril.' I ask you a general question, Minister: why is the government ignoring community advocacy and outrage at its decision to cut the real pay of our service men and women?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I assure the senator that we are not ignoring any community outrage. We have said that we will recant with respect to allowances, which we have done. Let me repeat, for the umpteenth time, the position that this government is in with respect to salaries of directly employed Commonwealth employees, as bequeathed to us by the mismanagement of the last government, is such that we must take tough measures. This is part of the recovery that this particular government sees as necessary in its financial management to get Australia back onto a more—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Arrogant, ill-informed and self-centred; that's the story, isn't it?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

even financial keel. What you have bequeathed to us in terms of debt and deficit must be addressed.