Monthly Archives: August 2012
An Insult to their Service
Accident and Death Insurance for Serving Members
Recent press reports have highlighted the issue of accident and life insurance being offered to members of the ADF, including those who may be deployed overseas.
Members of the ADF should be aware that as their employer, the Australian Government provides a range of benefits and entitlements for those members who may be injured whilst on duty (by way of compensation and ongoing medical support) as well as to their dependants should death in service occur. This includes cases where death or injury occurs whilst on operational service.
Release of Service Records by the National Archives
The Association is following up its serious concern over the current practice of the National Archives making available to the general public the service records of members and former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) during the “open access period” as defined in the Archives Act 1983.
The Association understands that the current practice is that any member of the public, upon payment of the prescribed fee, can obtain a copy of the entire service record of any ADF member or ex-member where that record is in the open access period.
Military Court of Australia
The Association has some significant concerns in relation to the Military Court of Australia Bill 2010 (“the Bill”). The Bill, when enacted, will establish the Military Court of Australia to try serious service offences alleged against members of the Australian Defence Force, in place of the present system of trial by court martial and Defence Force Magistrate.
ADF Workplace Remuneration Arrangement (WRA) for 2011
The new ADF Workplace Remuneration Arrangement 2011 – 2014 was considered by the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal (DFRT) on 27 October 2011. For many years the Defence Force Welfare Association has been an Intervener on the DFRT appearing before it on many occasions and we represented your interests at the hearing on 27 October.
The National President of DFWA, David Jamison, believes DFWA members and the wider ADF membership need to understand the constraints within which this decision was reached:
- The ADF & Commonwealth, at the Hearing on 27 October, only released their 150 page submission to the Interveners (DFWA & RSL) some 40 minutes prior to Hearing commencement.
- The ADF & Commonwealth suggested that any alternative submission proposing variation to the Agreed Case would almost certainly necessitate delays of about four months or so. Additionally, any retrospectivity of a subsequent DFRT determination as a consequence of that Hearing would be very very unlikely.
- The ADF & Commonwealth advised the Tribunal that any delay in their determination in the current Agreed Case beyond 1600 hrs 28 October would occasion a delay of about three months in the actual payment of any pay-rise to ADF members.
Launch of Operation AWARE 2 : Veterans Left out of the “Land of Hope and Dreams”
ADSO today launched ‘Operation AWARE 2′ being the second phase of its public’s awareness campaign to explain how unfair and unjust the Government has been to take no action to either fairly index Military Superannuation pensions to reflect the cost of living increases, or to restore Veterans’ Disability Pensions parity.
The launch is timed as a lead up to Vietnam Veterans’ Day on the 18th August, a day that will allow Australia as a whole to remember the contributions made by their country men and women in the Vietnam War. The day also marks the anniversary of one of Australia’s most significant campaigns in that war – the Battle of Long Tan.
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Veterans’ fight continues
Howard Sattler spoke to retired Air Vice-Marshal Peter Criss about the second wave of the fight for fair indexation of defence pensions in the lead up to Vietnam Veterans Day.
The Rebuttal from the Hangout
With the PM Debarcle
