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Army Reserves won't get Anzac Day pay
DEFENCE force reservists who have fought in Afghanistan, East Timor and the Solomon Islands will not be paid to march on Anzac Day this year - unlike the regular forces - as part of budget cutbacks that will also slash their training and ammunition.
The morale of the 25,000 reservists is near collapse, with the head of the Defence Reserves Association, Jim Barry, warning yesterday of mass resignations, saying the Diggers were preparing to "vote with their feet".
A final straw for many of the weekend warriors who have provided crucial support to the heavily committed defence force was confirmation they will no longer be paid to turn out for parades on Anzac Day and similar occasions.
The 17,000-strong Army Reserve, which provided the bulk of the peacekeepers for the current missions in East Timor and Solomon Island would be hardest hit by the cuts, Major General Barry told The Australian. His warning came as Defence Minister John Faulkner endorsed the government's strategic reform program designed to make $20 billion in defence savings over the next decade.
"They (Defence) have run out of dough," General Barry said yesterday. He was concerned there was no indication the situation would improve in the 2010-11 financial year.
"I haven't had an answer from anyone," he said.
If the budget cuts were maintained, the reservists would "march with their feet", he said.
The number of reserve annual training days had already been cut to 25, about half of what was needed to maintain proficiency, he said.
"A lot of them are still hanging on, but morale is pretty low.
"We know it's impinging on operational efficiency and they're not going to be sufficiently well trained," General Barry said.
"They're getting about 25 days of training at best, and they need, depending on the unit, somewhere between 35 and 50 days to be proficient before they go anywhere near pre-deployment training for the Solomons or where ever," he said.
The Australian Defence Force confirmed reservists would not be paid to take part in local Anzac Day commemorations.
Army Reserve Training Salaries, which according to its website are tax-free, would only be paid for official Anzac Day ceremonial tasks, a spokesman said.
Opposition defence, science and personnel spokesman Bob Baldwin said the government should immediately intervene.
"It is indeed a very sad day when reservists who have served in such places as East Timor, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan, are not allowed to parade on Anzac Day.
"I echo the sentiments of Major-General Barry when saying these budget cuts have cut into the very core of Australia's heritage," he said.
Yesterday, Defence Minister John Faulkner announced the government had endorsed implementation of the Strategic Reform Plan which was on track to achieve $797 million in savings this financial year.
Addressing the Defence Senior Leadership Group in Canberra last Wednesday, Senator Faulkner said the program was not just about delivering savings and efficiencies. It was an an integral component of the white paper.
It would only be possible to buy the new equipment needed for defence if the full savings were made, he said.
69 comments on this story
Have your say - Comments on this story
- justin of melbourne Posted at 4:08 PM April 08, 2010
All I hear is "WAH!" As a soldier, and even though Anzac day is on a weekend, I am expected to attend or march. Myself, I do it out of respect and did this before I joined the ADF. I do receive a salary, but that salary enables the defence force to tell me to get to work on any given day, not as a reserve - who would say "my employer can not spare me!" Seriously I am working and marching on this Day of Days and I wouldn't have it any other way. And when my days are coming to an end I will still attend services/marches, who will pay me then....no one. Have a good look at yourselves, and while you are at it look for your heart!
- Andrew Posted at 3:54 PM April 08, 2010
As a reservist I have always been paid for official duties on ANZAC day, as a few people have pointed out, a Unit Parade does not just "happen". It takes a lot of work from a few people, to get a unit ready for an important parade. The headline here should have been "Reserve Training slashed, soldiers hung out to dry"
- Stuart of Perth Posted at 3:49 PM April 08, 2010
To Scott of Darwin: You present a straw man argument. On average, including weekends away and annual camp and 3 hour pde nights, the $20 per hour you so cleverly worked out, whittles down pretty close to $10 per hour. Lets be generous and say $12ph and allowing 30% for marginal tax rate say $16ph with no super. When it means that your holidays are cut down from 4 weeks to 2 weeks per year and sometimes none if you do 2 camps in order to do all the courses necessary for promotion the pay isn't exactly great. As I earn $50+ ph in my civilian job, 20+ years in the reserves has not been for the money. The regs also are underpaid, although your example of $6 per hour is laughable. I also am theoretically on call in my civvy job 24/7 and spend many days away from family and if I used your maths my $50 ph becomes $12 ph, but wait I get paid a salary just like regular soldiers do. Ah maths and statistics, when will they ever get taught and used correctly.
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