Government Must Prioritise ‘People First’ in Implementing Recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review
MEDIA RELEASE
The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) says the Government must prioritise supporting and increasing both frontline and supporting Defence personnel, in line with the recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR).
While the RSL has supported the Government’s commitment to implement the recommendations of the DSR, with serious misgivings regarding the announced reduction in resources for the Army, it says people are at the heart of Australia’s defence capability and a ‘people first’ approach is essential.
Investing in the recruitment and the retention of our Defence Force personnel was one of the stated six key pillars of the Review and the other five will fail if this pillar is not achieved.
RSL Australia National President Greg Melick said service men and women must be front of mind as the Government implements its response to the DSR.
“An entire chapter of the review was dedicated to the workforce crisis facing the Australian Defence Force (ADF), pointing out that issues including pay and service conditions and workplace culture in the ADF, and public service, need to be improved,” Greg Melick said.
“This should not be news for the Government as an incoming brief for Defence Minister Richard Marles warned that the ADF faced an uphill battle to find and retain staff and security experts have warned it will struggle to meet its ambitious recruitment and retainment targets.
“As stated, the RSL welcomes the announced investment in critical systems capable of bridging our air/sea gap. This investment is required on top of existing commitments to ensure that the Australian Defence Force has longer-range strategic capability.
“But the ADF also requires the capability to win close land battles, recognising that close land battles having taken the vast majority of ADF lives in recent operations. One cannot be traded off for the other.
“History clearly demonstrates that Australia requires balanced forces, trained, and equipped for a wide range of contingencies including land-based operations wherever our strategic alliances may cause us to deploy.”
Greg Melick said the health and wellbeing of ADF personnel remained a top priority for the RSL and this needed to be an unequivocal highest priority requirement in the decision-making of our nation’s leaders.
“The RSL recognises that Defence spending should always align with strategic needs. At a time where ADF recruitment and retention is a strategic consideration, our nation’s finest who are ready to sign the contract to defend Australia’s interests will be looking keenly at the investment to support their decision.
“The RSL urges the Australian Government, through the ADF to adopt programs to improve recruitment and retention in our armed services. The RSL stands ready to assist where it can as we see people as the most important investment in providing a secure future for our nation and its people.
