Federation officials met with new Minister Assisting the Minister
for Defence Mal Brough late last year to introduce ourselves and
draw his attention to a couple of hot issues that have been or
will be raised with the CDF.
As time was limited, we restricted ourselves to three main
topics:
(1) Phase 2 of the Remuneration Reform Program (RRP);
(2) The introduction of free choice to Members With Dependants
(MWD) in regard to Rental Allowance (RA) and
(3) the provision of improved Living-In Accommodation (LIA) for
MWOD.
RRP
Phase
2 of the RRP proposes to isolate the Q&S component of selected
environmental allowances such as Special Action Forces Allowance,
Submarine Service Allowance and Specialist Operations Allowance
and make them superannuable before rolling those Q&S components
into salary under the final phase (Phase 3) of the program.
The Federation sees this as fundamental to completing the RRP
process and we support Phase 2 being implemented at the earliest
opportunity.
We suggested that the recent decision of the Defence Minister
not to progress Phase 2 outside the umbrella of the Nunn Review
recommendations (whenever that may be) contradicts pre-election
undertakings given by the Government in regard to ADF superannuation
arrangements.
We also believe this decision to be detrimental to members currently
in receipt of the allowances under consideration and seriously
jeopardises the successful conclusion of the RRP.
Rental
Allowance for MWD
The
Government intends to introduce free choice for MWD between Rental
Allowance (RA) and a Service Residence provided by DHA. In effect
this will mean there will no longer be any compulsion for MWD
to accept a suitable SR offer. The only catch is, the introduction
of free choice must be cost-neutral for Defence.
The Federation asked Minister Brough if the same consideration
would be given to Members Without Dependants (MWOD) by removing
the current five-year rule and providing them with free choice
between Living-In Accommodation (LIA) and RA.
About 50 per cent of ADF personnel are single and while the Federation
has no objections to free choice being provided to MWD, that same
free choice must flow on to MWOD. It is simply a question of equity.
Not to do this would be discriminatory and likely to become a
serious morale (and retention) issue for MWOD.
Accommodation
upgrades for LIA
To
sum things up, the Minister gave no assurances in regard to the
RRP, but he did give an undertaking to further examine the accommodation
arrangements for MWOD, including the provision of information
in regard to barrack accommodation upgrades.
The Federation thanks Minister Brough for taking time out of his
hectic schedule to meet with us.
We look forward to some positive and timely outcomes.
Air
force officer takes flight and joins Navy
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AIRCDRE
Tony Austin and CDRE Nigel Coates present LEUT Elliott with
her new “boards”.
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Flight
Lieutenant Tracey Elliott became Navy Lieutenant Tracey Elliott
in an unusual transfer of service recently.
LEUT Elliott has a background in medical imaging and ultrasound.
She was in the RAAF Specialist Reserve, but on January 1 transferred
to the Navy as Medical Administrative Officer (MAO).
This branch normally recruits from the sailor ranks and it is
the first time that Navy has taken a direct entry and lateral
entry into this category.
LEUT Elliot will become one of only two female MAO’s in the
branch joining LCDR Zoe Read. She will utilise her skills as a
radiographer and sonographer.
This month she will complete the lateral Entry Training Program
at HMAS Creswell.
LEUT Elliott is married to CMDR Rob Elliott who is the Fleet Weapons
Electrical Engineering Officer (FWEEO).
She was presented with her new “boards” by CDRE Nigel
Coates and AIRCDRE Tony Austin at a morning tea in Canberra late
last year.
