DOORSTOP INTERVIEW: AIR WARFARE DESTROYER SYSTEMS CENTRE, ADELAIDE

Subjects……..East Timor deployment; Iraq; national service; Air Warfare Destroyers

DR NELSON:        

Good morning everybody. Firstly thank you very much for coming and before I and Admiral Shalders make some remarks about the Warfare Destroyers, I'll just inform you of some issues in relation to East Timor.

Yesterday I spoke to Brigadier Mick Slater, the Commander of 3 Brigade, who's commanding our operations in Dili and across East Timor. And the Government has decided given the relative peace and security that has come to East Timor that we will be drawing down a number of our forces. Over the next few weeks we will be removing an infantry company, about 20 of our armoured personnel carriers, three more Blackhawk helicopters. We also have some logistics and headquarters support elements that will be returning home to Australia. We expect today 65 of our Defence Force personnel to return to Townsville.

Over the next few weeks and few months we will have further draw downs done of course in cooperation and consultation with the Prime Minister of Timor Leste, Jose Ramos Horta. Australia will maintain a significant defence presence nonetheless through to the end of the year. And of course at the moment we are working through the United Nations on the nature, not only of a longer term police presence in Timor Leste, but also of course with security forces. Australia will continue to make a military contribution to East Timor to ensure that the East Timorese Government is supported in maintaining peace and security. We expect to be working with a number of other countries. We would prefer that be a multi-national force but of course ultimately we will be guided by the Government of East Timor and of course the United Nations.

QUESTION:

(Inaudible)

DR NELSON:        

Well at this stage I'm not prepared to say specifically how many we will have there by the end of the year. As with all of our deployments, it's conditions based. We want to make sure that the peace and security, which Australian soldiers have brought to East Timor, along with that of New Zealand, Malaysia, Portugal and other countries, is maintained. We will maintain sufficient presence there in terms of people and equipment to support peace and security in East Timor. There will be a continuing significant presence, but at this stage I am not prepared to indicate to you precisely how many that will be.

QUESTION:

Minister, are there any plans to bring Australian troops back from Iraq any time soon, given the President Jalal Talabani's comments that Iraq's security forces will be able to secure the country by the end of the year?

DR NELSON:        

Well as I have said repeatedly, Australia believes that stability in the Middle East, democracy in Iraq, the global war on terror and working with our allies, such as the United Kingdom and the United States to support a democratic Iraq is extremely important. We have moved to a very important phase in Al Muthanna, the first province in Iraq, which has moved to provincial Iraqi control. We have moved our people to Tallil, the air base just inside Dhi Qar and we're involved in mentoring, training and some other military activities in support of the Iraqi security forces. We will see how that goes, but at this stage we certainly don't have any artificial deadline that's been set for the draw down of troops and other defence presence in Iraq.

It's very important that Australians appreciate that 12 million Iraqis have voted on three occasions. They have no lesser right to democracy and freedom than do we in Australia or perhaps the people of East Timor. It's important that we see the job through and we will remain there until we believe it is done so. And that means in part of course that the Iraqi Government itself reaches the point where it believes it can look after its own security. That's the next phase we've moved into in Al Muthanna but we will be there to make sure that they've got back up support should they need it.

QUESTION:

Dr Nelson, the issue of conscription has come up this morning with comments from Chris Barrie. What's the Government's response?

DR NELSON:

Well the Government does not support conscription, nor does it support national service. A future government would only ever consider such a thing if Australia were under direct military threat. It's extremely important that we appreciate that we have rights and freedoms in our country - that people should be encouraged to join the Australian Defence Force, but not be compelled. We have a world-class defence force in Australia. We don't want to see our military leaders having to train people who don't want to be in the Defence Force. We also don't want to see a very divisive debate in Australia about people being forced to join the defence force or not. I am the parent of three children, I would be absolutely delighted, and indeed encourage them to join the Australian Defence Force, but I don't want to be in a country where we force them to.

QUESTION:

How are you going to get numbers up though, that is the issue?

DR NELSON:        

Well I have been working on a package of reforms with our Service Chiefs, in terms of recruitment and retaining our Defence Force personnel. I'll be taking some proposals to my colleagues in the next few months and you'll see the announcement of some reforms well before the end of the year.

QUESTION:

Minister, what about the National Security Committee's decision on the extent of Australia's role in any force in Lebanon?

DR NELSON:        

Well our position is clear. And that is that if an international stabilisation force is sent to South Lebanon that it ought to be one which is of a very large size. You would need 10,000 to 20,000 troops. It should also be one that is able to work with and support the Lebanese army in securing South Lebanon. It should also be under the charter, which disarms Hezbollah. And if the Australian Government chooses to make a defence force contribution to any stabilisation force, it is likely to be in a relatively niche area. I'm not prepared to say anything more about it at the moment.

QUESTION:

Will the troops coming out of East Timor possibly go to Lebanon?

DR NELSON:        

Well I'm not prepared to comment on that at the moment. I think that's most unlikely.

QUESTION:

Minister, just on the AWD facility here …

DR NELSON:

I was just about to get to that, yeah.

QUESTION:

Do you think it's asking a bit much for the stakes being so high that the two designers work under the one roof? Could anything go wrong with that?

DR NELSON:        

Well Sir Lawrence Street, who has impeccable personal and professional credentials, is overseeing the probity process. What we've got is the Australian Government and the Defence Materiel Organisation working with the builder, the Australian Submarine Corporation, and Raytheon that's putting the combat system in, working along side and with the two design teams. It's very important that we get this decision right. This is a model process for getting the right design and the right ships for Australia at the right price and on time.

I am very confident that the design centre that we've got here in Adelaide is the right approach. And Australians need to appreciate that protecting and defending our country, its values and … Australians have got to appreciate that protecting and defending our country, its values and interests throughout the world, means a significant investment, not only in equipment but also in people. We're investing around $6 billion dollars in building three air warfare destroyers. The Government will make the decision about half way through next year as to the specific design that we will have. It's important that we have ships that are able to serve us the next 25 years that are able to deal with any kind of anti-ship missiles that might be in our region. That can also conduct long-range maritime air defence capability and also can spend long periods away from port and travel to quite distant parts of the world. This is a decision that will be a nation building one. It will mean employment for several thousand Australians, and also the protection of the interests of the next generation of Australians.

I might ask Admiral Shalders to speak about the importance of this to the Royal Australian Navy.

VICE ADMIRAL SHALDERS:    

Yeah thanks, Minister. This will change the way the Royal Australian Navy does its business in the years to come. As the Minister has said this is a very long-term investment. In the year 2040 these ships will still be serving. We don't know what's going to be happening in the year 2040. We're uncertain; we need to be ready for those uncertainties.

These ships, whichever design wins this particular competition, either of these designs will be very capable ships in that long extended time frame. They're highly capable units, they're world leading units. In 2013 when we deliver these ships we'll be right at the leading edge of naval capability.

I'm very confident that the project is well set up. I'm very happy with the two contenders. And as I say it's an exciting time for the navy. Some of the young people who will man these ships are not yet born. I think we're delivering them a great capability and I look forward to that day when they fist sail into Port Adelaide, probably. And also of course when they're serving, those young men and women who'll be serving in our navy right through to 2040.

QUESTION:

Minister, could I ask you to elaborate on the remark you made earlier at CEDA where you talked about your concern and you said you wouldn't [inaudible] rate at which the Chinese were turning out PhDs and higher education. People… weren't you concerned about the strategic implications of that? Can you elaborate on that a little?

DR NELSON:        

Well, no. Other than to say look Australia is 20 million people. We are competing with the rest of the world in every sense of the word. And China is growing very, very quickly, indeed as is India and some other nations in our region. Significant increased investment in those countries in research and development and the production of people with high skills, means that we have to be even more competitive than we are. And apart from other areas of course, increased investment in education and technological understanding in those countries will ultimately see further investment in defence. I don't think there should be anything else other than that seen in it.

QUESTION:

Minister in a nation-building sense is this South Australia's Snowy?

DR NELSON:        

Well look this indeed if you look at it is the next generation of manufacturing and construction and nation building for South Australia. It's not quite the Snowy Mountains, but it's not far behind it. And this will give not just employment and opportunities to new generations of South Australians in building these ships, but also in maintaining them. And it also will bring confidence to the State in terms of national investment in assets of which we are going to be very proud. For more than 30 years we will see these ships in all parts of the world. Let us hope that we don't ever have to see them in conflict, but that's a possibility. We've got to be prepared. And South Australians will be very proud of their ships once they have built them.

[ends]

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