Steps taken by the Coalition since 1996 have better prepared the ADF and given the Government of the day more options to deal with any threats to our security conventional or otherwise.
When elected in 1996, the Howard Government took the view that rebuilding the Defense Forces was a priority.
The ADF was quarantined from the cuts, which were being made to other portfolios as we sought to retrieve the budget from Labor's $10 billion dollar deficit.
The Government commenced a major program of review to identify duplication and waste in Defense organizations to ensure resources were being utilized to their maximum effectiveness.
The Government immediately set out to improve Defense's 'Teeth to Tail' ratio that is the number of ADF personnel in combat or combat support positions compared to the administrative or service functions.
In 1996 the 'Teeth to Tail' ratio was 42%. It is now 62% - nearing the Government's goal of 65%.
In 2000 the Government undertook the most comprehensive review of Defense for decades, including a nationwide survey of community expectations, before releasing the Defense White Paper Defense 2000: Our Future Defense Force in December.
The White Paper provides a ten-year plan for the ADF, linked to a Government commitment to increase the Defense budget by $27 billion (in real terms) over the coming decade.
It is this background which enables the ADF to currently undertake the Peace Keeping Operations in East Timor, provide interdiction operations against people smugglers in our northern waters and also be prepared to protect Australia against terrorism.
The White Paper recognized that various forms of military operations other than conventional war are becoming more common. (Par 2.65 p. 10)
It recognized that over the coming years the ADF will continue to undertake operations other than conventional warfare in our region and beyond, and says that preparing for such eventualities will therefore take a more prominent place in planning and spending decisions.
Specific measures are already in train to help the ADF operate in this variable world environment:
The Special Forces units are being substantially augmented, with more personnel and high-tech counter terrorism equipment. \ The budget for Special Forces is increasing from $360 million in the current year to $442 million over the decade.
It was also recognized by the White Paper that Defense's Intelligence gathering agencies would have a greater role to play in ensuring national security in the coming years.
These agencies have been guaranteed significant additional funding - $451 million per annum increasing to $565 million per annum over this decade.
Security considerations prevent too much being said about enhanced capability for these organizations, however some specific initiatives include:
--Enhanced signals intelligence and imagery collection capabilities --Improved intelligence processing and dissemination systems --Deeper levels of cooperation with the Untied States intelligence agencies in some key areas
Mr. Beazley's response to the recent terrorist attacks was that:
"We need a shift in the balance of our Defense policy towards what is now the primary international security threat which is international terrorism.... We probably need to make Defense priority adjustments accordingly within the Defense budget."
We cannot afford to structure our Defense Forces, or strategic policy, to any one threat which would expose our nation in other ways.
The ADF must remain flexible enough to face a wide range of challenges to our security; from conventional war or peace enforcement through to terrorism and cyber attack.
To do its job effectively and protect this country, the ADF needs a carefully thought through plan and a Government committed to the necessary funding.
The Defense White Paper and the Coalition Government will provide that surety.
