Review
depends on good conditions
Redefining categorisation of members is essential
for Members With Dependants (Separated) in de facto relationships,
argues Graham Howatt, of the Armed Forces Federation.
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Together
or apart: The Federation believes the Members With Dependants
(Separated) policy needs to be better articulated.
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Photo
by CPL Simone Liebelt
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THE
FEDERATION welcomes the review of Members With Dependants (Separated)
policy that was outlined recently in the Air Force newspaper.
We also appreciate the opportunity to make submissions on the
review and the time taken by the Director of Service Conditions,
Group Captain John Price, and his deputy, Nick Mills, to brief
the Federation on the intent of the review.
Having had the advantage of that briefing, the Federation is satisfied
that it is the intent of the ADF to enhance current policy, not
tighten it, and provide greater flexibility in determining MWD(S)
categories.
While the Federation does not encourage members to move unaccompanied,
it does support compensation being provided to members who relocate
unaccompanied for Service reasons.
In submissions to the ADF, the Federation has suggested the overriding
principle of current policy needs to be better articulated to
recognise its purpose. That is, the need to appropriately compensate
MWD(S) for the enforced mobility caused by being a member of the
ADF.
Good MWD(S) conditions of service policies act as a retention
tool, particularly at the ranks of sergeant/ warrant officer and
captain/major equivalents, an area where the ADF continues to
experience its greatest personnel losses.
We also said in our submissions that it is fundamental to the
conduct of this review that the ADF revisit and redefine categorisation
of military members.
This seems particularly important for determining MWD and MWD(S)
status in regard to recognition of de facto relationships. It
would also facilitate an opportunity for the ADF to address the
perceived inequity between the MWD(S) and non-custodial parents
with regard to reunion travel entitlements.
It became evident during consultation with members that bona-fide
applications for de facto relationships were being rejected without
written explanation.
This may be seen as a red herring, but we submit that a rejection
of a de facto relationship effectively prevents categorisation
as MWD(S) and entitlements that flow from that.
Authorities need to be held accountable for their decisions. This
is another enhancement the Federation would like to see introduced
as a result of the MWD(S) review.
In
respect to non-custodial parents (paying child support), it has
been the Federation’s quest for many years to have these members
recognised for the purposes of reunion travel, similar to what
is currently provided to MWD(S).
Providing flexible policy and redefining the dependency status
of ADF members could allow this quest to be realised.
Column space does not permit full coverage of remaining submissions
but it can be made available to members upon request. In
brief they are:
