By Matthew Knott
The federal government has scrambled to clarify that only citizens from Five Eyes nations will initially be able to serve in the Australian Defence Force after the announcement of an overhaul of recruitment rules became mired in confusion.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused the government of creating a “dog’s breakfast” with its announcement that foreigners would be allowed to enlist in the military to help address a dire personnel shortage, with ministers providing conflicting explanations about how the policy would work.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia was “crossing the Rubicon” by allowing non-citizens to serve with the Australian Defence Force.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
The government’s initial media release suggested that only permanent residents from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network – the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada – would be eligible to enlist.
Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh later said that permanent residents from “any other countries” living in Australia would be able to apply to join the ADF, prompting questions about whether permanent residents from autocracies such as China could be recruited.
Defence Minister Richard Marles subsequently told reporters that “the focus is on Five Eyes and the Pacific”, with Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy saying Pacific Islanders would be able to serve from next year.
A spokeswoman later said the government had an eye to the Pacific, but was looking to get the initial policy right before expanding beyond the five intelligence-sharing nations.
Marles said the announcement, which was welcomed by many military experts, “does represent a crossing of the Rubicon for Australia” given foreigners were previously barred from military service except in rare circumstances.
He said the ADF was currently about 4400 people short of its personnel target, a shortfall that is hampering its effort to increase the number of uniformed personnel by about 30 per cent by 2040.
The scheme to enlist permanent residents with foreign citizenship is expected to boost ADF numbers by 350 people a year.
“That is a relatively small number in terms of what we need to be doing going forward,” Marles said.
The Coalition’s approach also caused confusion, with opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie withholding support for the policy even though he previously urged the government to consider allowing foreigners to serve in the ADF.
Under the government’s plan, New Zealand permanent residents living in Australia will be able to apply to join the military from next month. From the start of next year, permanent residents from Canada, the US and UK will be included in the scheme.
Hastie, a former special forces soldier, said that “Labor can’t keep their story straight” and accused the government of being “ham-fisted” on an issue of vital national importance.
“We want clarity,” he said. “I don’t think they’ve cleaned this up for something as important and huge.”
Accusing the government of giving up on recruiting Australians to the military, Hastie said: “There’s a lot of questions that need answering before we support this.”
Hastie told this masthead last year that “with immigration about to increase, we should consider opening service in the ADF as an accelerated pathway to citizenship”.
“If someone is willing to fight and die for our country we should take them over a $5 million golden visa any day of the week,” he said.
As well as meeting ADF entry standards and security requirements, permanent residents wishing to join the ADF will be required to have lived in Australia for at least a year immediately before applying and to have not served in a foreign military in the previous two years.
Once foreign nationals have served for 90 days, they will be expected to apply for Australian citizenship.
The government previously introduced a $50,000 retention bonus, dropped the ADF’s one-size-fits-all fitness test – which requires recruits to be able to complete dozens of sit-ups, push-ups and sprints in a set time – and made it easier for people with medical conditions to serve in the military as a way to boost personnel numbers.
New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins said she was not concerned about the proposal depleting her nation’s defence force, because of the eligibility criteria.
“Australia is New Zealand’s only ally, and we continue to have a very close relationship,” she said.
The New Zealand government expressed its anger last week at the Albanese government’s plan to change an immigration rule known as direction 99 to make it easier to deport criminal non-citizens.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Justin Bassi welcomed the initiative as “very positive” and a “sensible idea”.
Asked about possible security concerns, he said: “I think a baby-steps approach involving New Zealand and then branching out in terms of the Five Eyes and the Pacific is the way to go.”
Friendly countries should be “white-listed” for acceptance, instead of problematic countries being blacklisted, he said.
Retired major general Fergus McLachlan said the policy was a “good start, but lots more to do” to address the ADF’s recruitment issues.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said in April that he would be delighted for his citizens to serve under the Australian flag.
“As soon as you change the laws, we will be ready,” he said. “You will find our soldiers will be very loyal.”
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