Coalition will block Labor's Cuts to Troop's Trip Home
Thursday, 28 June 2012
The 2012-13 Federal Budget stripped recreation leave travel for single ADF members aged 21 and over, and today the Coalition has moved a motion in the House of Representatives to block Labor’s mean-spirited attack on ADF personnel.
Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, said ADF personnel were having their conditions of service undermined by the Labor Government and that he whole heartedly supported the motion introduced by the Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel, Stuart Robert MP, to block Labor’s policy.
“Labor’s cuts will affect approximately 22,000 single ADF members aged 21 and over. These members will no longer be supported in getting home to their families at Christmas, or home to their kids for their birthday, Alex Hawke said.
“I unreservedly welcome the introduction of a disallowance motion in the House of Representatives and I call on Labor to bring the motion to a vote this week.
“The Labor Government must stop using Defence and Defence personnel as their personal piggy-bank to pay for their reckless spending in other portfolios. Enough is enough.
Alex Hawke said he would support the disallowance motion and remained determined to fight for the rights of our serving men and women to ensure single Defence personnel aged 21 and over keep their entitlement to travel home to see family.
“While Labor may not think so, it is still an expensive proposition for many young ADF personnel to travel the breadth of the country to see their families or their children, said Alex Hawke.
“I am concerned that our personnel will be forced to risk their lives taking long trips across the country on long and dark roads just to make it home to see their loved ones, particularly at Christmas.
“If the Labor Government can afford to spend close to $70m on Carbon Tax advertising, then they can certainly afford the $15m it costs to send our hard-working ADF members home to their families and children once a year.” concluded Alex Hawke.