Defence against cyber warfare and other forms of attack, rather than an armed invader, must be the ADF's vision for the 21st century, Secretary of Defence, Dr Allan Hawke told the Leadership Conference in his keynote address.

"You'll recall our mission was the prevention or defeat of armed force against Australia or its interests," Dr Hawke told the 500 delegates.

"That served us pretty well during the 20th century but it wouldn't have done so for the 21st century.

"That is why our new mission is 'the defence of Australia and its national interests.

"This statement recognises that we face a range of threats inimical to our security beyond the remote possibility of armed attack.

"It covers things like cyber warfare and other forms of attack.

"And it imbraces the good work we do in Australia's interests on things like national emergencies, illegal fishing, people smuggling, humanitarian assistance, medical evacuations, peacekeeping etc."

On values, Dr Hawke said, "The importance of values and a specific definition /common understanding of each value has also been underestimated. They are important because they give people a guide on the way we should do things around here...the sort of behaviour expected of them," he said.

"The senior leadership has also spent some time on their values and the four unbreakable rules. We still have a lot more to do on that front, including people to account where their behaviour doesn't meet our expectations.

"Inappropriate behaviour must be dealt with. Even a relatively few bad apples affect our reputation."

On leadership, Dr Hawke said, "It is no accident that CDF and I have been putting so much effort into the senior leadership. We believe that Defence's future lies in their hands, that we are dependent on their leadership towards Defence's aspirations and future success".

Dr Hawke told of the formation in each service and group of 'strategy crews' which will plot the total picture.

On people he said the White Paper gave us what we asked for.

"But people are increasingly feeling the pinch on resourcing, their overall workload and working hours.

"ADF manpower levels are being addressed but these findings (Staff Attitude Survey) underline the importance of deciding what to stop doing, to cut our work cloth to suit our resource wallet, in a strategic way that doesn't inappropriately compromise capability," he said.

Dr Hawke took the delegates through the results of the 2001 Staff Survey results.

The best Navy items included importance of the quality of the work done, how well people do their current job, pride in their work, the importance of building working relationships to the way the results are achieved and the production of high quality services and outputs in each workgroup.

The worst were: decline in traditional military values and standards, insufficient personnel to do the work, never enough resources to do jobs properly, more locational stability for family, recent changes to Navy have improved morale and there have been lots of surveys recently but nothing ever seems to be done with the results.

"Other comparisons show where Navy has improved and deteriorated against the 1999 survey results," Dr Hawke said.

In closing Dr Hawke said, "I'll leave you with a thought on why shaping and sharing a vision of our future is so important.

"It's because that is where you will spend the rest of your life."