Gerard Rennick (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since my questioning in estimates of the Defence Force about recruitment, I have been overwhelmed by a large number of constituents who have contacted me to say that they have been unable to enter the Defence Force. What's particularly worrying about this is that the application process for our young men and women in this country to join the Defence Force is taking not months but years. And, in many cases, these applicants have been told that they aren't suitable for our Defence Force. Questions really need to be asked of the Defence Force. Why are they taking so long to process so many young, patriotic Australians? Why are they are actually knocking back so many young patriotic Australians who are more than capable of serving in the military?

Many of the families that have contacted me are actually long-serving, multigenerational military families. Clearly their children—their young adults—are keen to join the military. They have a love for their country and they want to serve their country, so I can't, for the life of me, understand why the military is dragging the chain on this. And it's not only disappointing that many of these young people can't join the military; it's also disappointing that it's taking so long. Some of these people have finished high school. They want to actually join the Army or the Air Force straight out of high school and they've waited over a year, only to be eventually knocked back. That is not good enough.

I call on the Australian Defence Force to lift their game in terms of the speed it takes to process these applications and not to be so selective in knocking back our young, patriotic Australians who are fit and able-bodied and are keen to serve their country.