Australia Government tries to boost military recruitment
Nelson defends gap year army plan
October 15, 2006 - 3:10PM
A scheme encouraging school leavers to spend a year in the army is not a step towards conscription, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says.
Dr Nelson has unveiled plans to persuade high school graduates considering a gap year to join the defence force instead of going backpacking or volunteering abroad.
The minister said the government would offer up to 1000 places in the army under the so-called "try before you buy" program.
The package will also contain initiatives to encourage those who take up the offer to return to the military within five years, but Dr Nelson would not detail those incentives today.
He said the move was not a shift back toward conscription or national service.
"The Government has absolutely no intention at all of reintroducing national service or conscription," he told reporters.
"It would be extremely divisive in Australia, there would be a great fault line through Australian society.
"The only circumstance under which any Government would seriously entertain national service or conscription is if there was a direct, immediate and credible military threat to Australia."
Dr Nelson said the gap year program was another way of boosting recruitment, which he acknowledged was "constipated".
The ADF was currently recruiting 7500 people each year but needed about 8500, he said.
No recruiting 'quick fix'
The Government's gap year national service proposal will not solve the problems of recruitment and "overstretching" within the Australian Army, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said today.
Mr Beazley said he was not opposed in principle to the Government's plan to encourage school leavers to join the defence forces for a year, which was similar to the Labor Party's old ready reserve program.
But he warned people to be wary it doesn't lead to the introduction of "full-scale national service".
"I'd watch it very carefully to see that it's something that actually is the first stage of introducing the Labor Party's old scheme, as opposed to the first stage of introducing John Howard's old scheme when he came into politics with conscription," Mr Beazley told journalists outside the ALP State Conference in Adelaide.
Mr Beazley said the proposal was a "reflection of how overstretched the army has become - and it's not a simple fix for that".
HECS incentive
Defence lobby group, the Australia Defence Association, wants the government to consider waiving HECS fees if the program is eventually expanded.
Dr Nelson said he would not rule that out, as there were already HECS waivers for ADF recruits studying at university.
"Everything is on the table except national service or conscription," he said.
"One of the many options we can look at is giving financial incentives for further study and HECS is obviously one of those variables."
Dr Nelson said the gap program would "complete the loop".
"We have defence cadets, we have a gap year program for people to complete one year in the Australian defence force, our regular service and of course our reservists," he said.
"This is something that has got to be great for young people, good for defence, and that means it's good for Australia."
The minister will release a full package of measures to boost recruitment and retention in the ADF in the next few months.
- AAP
To read the original source from The Age, click on:
The Age
October 15, 2006 - 3:10PM
A scheme encouraging school leavers to spend a year in the army is not a step towards conscription, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says.
Dr Nelson has unveiled plans to persuade high school graduates considering a gap year to join the defence force instead of going backpacking or volunteering abroad.
The minister said the government would offer up to 1000 places in the army under the so-called "try before you buy" program.
The package will also contain initiatives to encourage those who take up the offer to return to the military within five years, but Dr Nelson would not detail those incentives today.
He said the move was not a shift back toward conscription or national service.
"The Government has absolutely no intention at all of reintroducing national service or conscription," he told reporters.
"It would be extremely divisive in Australia, there would be a great fault line through Australian society.
"The only circumstance under which any Government would seriously entertain national service or conscription is if there was a direct, immediate and credible military threat to Australia."
Dr Nelson said the gap year program was another way of boosting recruitment, which he acknowledged was "constipated".
The ADF was currently recruiting 7500 people each year but needed about 8500, he said.
No recruiting 'quick fix'
The Government's gap year national service proposal will not solve the problems of recruitment and "overstretching" within the Australian Army, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said today.
Mr Beazley said he was not opposed in principle to the Government's plan to encourage school leavers to join the defence forces for a year, which was similar to the Labor Party's old ready reserve program.
But he warned people to be wary it doesn't lead to the introduction of "full-scale national service".
"I'd watch it very carefully to see that it's something that actually is the first stage of introducing the Labor Party's old scheme, as opposed to the first stage of introducing John Howard's old scheme when he came into politics with conscription," Mr Beazley told journalists outside the ALP State Conference in Adelaide.
Mr Beazley said the proposal was a "reflection of how overstretched the army has become - and it's not a simple fix for that".
HECS incentive
Defence lobby group, the Australia Defence Association, wants the government to consider waiving HECS fees if the program is eventually expanded.
Dr Nelson said he would not rule that out, as there were already HECS waivers for ADF recruits studying at university.
"Everything is on the table except national service or conscription," he said.
"One of the many options we can look at is giving financial incentives for further study and HECS is obviously one of those variables."
Dr Nelson said the gap program would "complete the loop".
"We have defence cadets, we have a gap year program for people to complete one year in the Australian defence force, our regular service and of course our reservists," he said.
"This is something that has got to be great for young people, good for defence, and that means it's good for Australia."
The minister will release a full package of measures to boost recruitment and retention in the ADF in the next few months.
- AAP
To read the original source from The Age, click on:
The Age
posted by Pax Christi @ Sunday, October 15, 2006
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