Defence official reveals one in four ADF personnel unfit to deploy on medical grounds

The Australian Defence Force has revealed almost a quarter of its personnel are not considered medically able to deploy including members who are now transitioning out of uniform.

Defence chief of personnel Lieutenant General Natasha Fox told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday that “over 75 per cent of the ADF are actually in a deployable, military employment classification”.

“We have some that are temporarily downgraded, and those temporarily downgraded in a military employment classification might be for an injury that has an ongoing rehabilitation requirement, but it’s only a temporary downgrade,” she said.

General Fox detailed how about 13 per cent of that cohort had been placed on light duties while recovering from temporary injuries, and “we have a number of people who are on a transition pathway, and that’s just over one per cent.”

In September the Albanese Government confirmed the full time and permanent ADF workforce now exceeded 64,000 personnel, the largest size the military has been in 25 years.

Details of the large number of uniformed personnel not considered able to deploy was prompted by questioning from independent Senator David Pocock on the defence department’s health insurance contract with Bupa.

“I’ve been told that under the current contract with Bupa, there are a high percentage of units not medically fit,” the ACT Senator and former Wallabies captain told the committee.

“For example, one battalion in the NT had some 35 per cent of ADF on some form of medical restriction,” he added.

Defence has also confirmed that many personnel currently deployed overseas had recently had their meal allowances reduced following an annual review conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“The meal and incidental allowances have been updated to align with defence and foreign affairs and trade. DFAT do an annual review, defence had been slightly out of step with that review arrangement, so what we’ve done is ensure they’re aligned,” Deputy Defence Secretary Justine Grieg said.

“In terms of allowances that is for a particular purpose and in this case for meals and incidentals, but I do take your point that for a good majority there has been a reduction in a number of locations . . . but it isn’t part of the remuneration package”.

Defence Chief provides update on Navy recording device incident

An inspection of the Royal Australian Navy’s entire fleet of ships has found no more hidden recording devices after one was discovered in a women’s bathroom soap dispenser earlier this month.

Appearing at a senate estimate hearing, Chief of Defence Force Admiral Mark Hammond described the incident on board HMAS Leeuwin as a “betrayal” but said the ship was now back at sea.

“The audit of the entire fleet has been completed, no other devices have been found, the investigation remains ongoing, the (ADF) member has been stood aside and the ship is on operations,” Admiral Hammond told the committee.

“The act of betrayal involving a recording device on board HMAS Leeuwin was an appalling violation of that trust and the person responsible will be held to account.”

Admiral Hammond has confirmed similar audits conducted by the Army and Royal Australian Air Force had also been completed with no further recording devices found, with a formal report to be handed to him next week.

Leak investigation launched into The Nightly reporting on defence

Late on Thursday the defence department secretary confirmed an investigation had “commenced” into whether sensitive information had been leaked to The Nightly following a report this week exposing concerns about looming cuts to military projects.

On Tuesday The Nightly revealed growing angst within the defence sector over possible program reductions and cancellations as the government looks for ways to fund the expensive AUKUS nuclear submarine endeavour.

“There has been a notification of a potential breach of obligations and so a notification has gone into our system and an investigation has commenced,” Meaghan Quinn told the estimates hearing.

“We have a process where if there’s a suspected breach, there’s a notification and then there’s an identification of whether there has or hasn’t been a breach and then investigation,” she added.

Under questioning from Greens leader David Shoebridge, Chief of Defence Admiral Mark Hammond also confirmed he was aware the matter was now being investigated.

“It’s an automatic process. If there is an allegation that someone inside the department has leaked information, that there is a process that’s automatically triggered.”

Earlier in the day defence officials also declared to the committee that cuts to large military projects such as Hunter class frigates and infantry fighting vehicles can’t be ruled out as the department continues to search for budget savings.

“We do a review of our budget on a regular basis. We review it at our defence committee every month, and there’s various other mechanisms,” Secretary Quinn told Senate estimates when questioned about The Nightly’s report on Thursday morning.

“So, we are following our usual process in relation to looking at our budget and managing to meet budget rules and my PGPA (Public Governance, Performance and Accountability) responsibilities as the accountable officer,” she added.

Pressed by Liberal Senator James Paterson on suggestions that “nothing is off the table” as part of the budget process, the Secretary responded: “We always review everything at all points in time.”

Just ahead of the hearing, Labor disclosed fresh details of its reprioritisation of the Defence Integrated Investment Program, which involves the reallocation of funding from programs considered less important or close enough to completion.

It includes $20 million from deployable air traffic systems and hangars and $100 million from transitioning legacy Huon-class mine hunter coastal vessels to modern capabilities, including autonomous systems.