A national defence consultation process attracted just 500 people and 260 submissions

A MERE 500 people went to 40 taxpayer-funded meetings around Australia to discuss the future of our Defence Forces, and many said they did not know what they really do.

AFGHANISTAN .. Afghan children wave hello to Australian Defence Force members in an Australian Army Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle as it drives through the streets of Kandahar heading towards Camp Hero, Afghanistan, as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. *** Local Caption *** There are approximately 20 Australian Defence Force personnel providing training and advisory support as mentors at Camp Hero, Kandahar. Australian troops are also deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Highroad to provide force protection and security to Australian and Coalition mentors and advisers supporting the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. The force protection elements act in a variety of ways such as close support ‘Guardian Angels’ as well as in more traditional protection roles. The risk of insider threat remains a key consideration for ADF members operating in Afghanistan. There are force protection elements located in Kandahar, Kabul and Qargha. Members of the force protection element are currently drawn from B Company, First Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, based in Townsville. There are approximately 400 Australian Defence Force personnel deployed across Afghanistan in a variety of roles as part of Operation Highroad contributing to Resolute Support. Resolute Support is focused on training, advising and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces and Afghan security institutions at the operational, institutional and ministerial levels.

A MERE 500 people bothered to attend 40 taxpayer funded “community consultation” meetings around Australia to tell the government’s expert panel what it wanted in the 2015 Defence White Paper.

The government today released the panel’s report that included input from the 500 plus 260 written submissions from groups as diverse as the Burdekin Shire Council, US aerospace giant Northrop Grumman and the Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee.

The panel that included academics and former officers travelled to every state and territory over six months to seek the views of taxpayers on the future Australian Defence Force.

A Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster aircraft, carrying ADF personne takes off from Royal Malaysian air force Base Butterworth. Picture: Supplied

It made some 20 recommendations to feed into the White Paper process (it is due out in August) and at the top of the list was the concern that Australians had very little understanding of what Defence actually did and how it spent $30 billion a year of taxpayer funds.

The report entitled “Guarding against uncertainty: Australian attitudes to defence”, recommended that the government should; “Increase Defence’s engagement with the community as a way to deepen public understanding of the modern Defence organisation and how it contributes to Australia’s security.”

Soldiers from Combat Team Heeler board the C-130 Hercules at Ali Air Base, Tallil, in southern Iraq. Picture: CPL Michael Davis

Head of the panel and director of the government funded Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Peter Jennings said that at every meeting people raised concerns about the lack of information on defence matters.

“People felt they should have more contact with and understanding of defence,” he said.

“It is partly a case of defence being to inward looking but it is a matter for governments to set the boundaries.

“Those boundaries have been pretty tightly drawn for a long time and that has made defence reluctant to engage.”

Minister for Defence Kevin Andrews and wife Margaret at the 2015 Press Gallery Mid Winter Ball.

Defence Minister Kevin Andrews — the man in the best position to change it — said the report revealed a “clear need for enhanced efforts to raise public awareness of Defence roles and missions, how it performs these tasks and the underlying policy rationale”.

“Many people told the Panel that they did not feel they received enough information or explanation about the ADF and Defence policy,” he said.

“The Government, as part of the Defence White Paper process, will work with Defence to address these concerns.”

He said the document would provide Defence with an enduring planning basis, certainty and stability that aligned strategic objectives, tasks and funds.

Other key matters raised by the community included threats to Australia, closer engagement with Indonesia, strengthening the US alliance, defence industry policy and capability.

Taxpayers also wanted to be better informed about why governments deployed military forces overseas.