Letter to Editor – Canberra Times. Dear Editor, I wish to speak my mind on a matter of national security before I get drowned out by the coming cacophony of voters crying foul at the latest knee-jerk, campaign politicking being demonstrated by Prime Minster Rudd. I refer to an announcement made today to the Lowy Institute of closing Fleet Base East and relocating those naval personnel and assets to more northern bases. The Prime Minister argues that this makes both strategic and economic sense and his rationales hint at the possibility that this might be a good idea and one purely based on the national interest, however his reasoning does not stack up very well or for very long. Firstly, while it is true that our neighbours are located to our northern approaches, we have already stationed our patrol boats up there and we well know that they are being flogged hard. Frigates, Destroyers and Landing Helicopter Dock ships will not alleviate the work load our Patrol boat crews are struggling under. The second main concern is infrastructure. While a massive new navy base in Brisbane would be a great election spinner for a Prime Minister whose electorate sits astride the Brisbane River, the Prime Minster appears to have given no thought to the deep port requirements of our modernising fleet, the logistical requirements needed to support that fleet, the housing of the thousands of personnel and their families and the need for industry to stay close to the ships for maintenance purposes. My third major concern is cost. Already estimates of $6 Billion dollars are being thrown around. The 2009 White Paper called for the Defence budget to increase to 3% of GDP in real terms, we are now at struggling to reach 1.58%. In recent days, both Labor and the Coalition have pledged to increase this to 2%, but it is too late; Defence Capability Planning and budget forecasting have already been belted for a six. This $6 Billion would be far better utilised in providing a guaranteed schedule of continuous works to keep our ship building industries alive when their work dries up over the next three years. Now THAT would be in the national interest. Spare a thought for the families of our naval personnel who would be affected by this half baked decision. Granted that members of our Defence Force obey orders, that remains unquestioned. But this is a case of using Defence members, families and resources as political playthings and that simply will not do. If my memory serves, HMAS Moreton (a navy base in Brisbane) was forced to close in 1994 resulting in the navy’s amphibious vessels being relocated to Sydney, and now another Labor government is considering doing the very opposite. In closing, national security should never be trumped by the interests of the Tourism industry, for they seem to be the only folks applauding this idea thus far. Joe Arnold ACT Katter Party Candidate for the Senate.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 05:24:05 +0000
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