Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, , 8:57:28 to 9:00:25
Inquiry into reports of ADF members paying rent and purchasing their own food while deployed in South Sudan, alongside safety assessments of the region.
Topics: ADF, National security
Speakers: Malcolm Roberts, Meghan Quinn, Raff Ciccone, Unknown Speaker, Interjection
>> My office has received notice that missiles have been intercepted near the ADF members base. >> It was close enough that it shook their tents heavily and woke the base up. Would that not change the classification of service? And what does the review process look like for a reclassification?
>> Yeah, we're happy to take that on notice. We have a detailed process where we um look at the operational context for different operations.
>> Thank you.
>> Um and I mean you're very welcome to put some of these specific questions on notice for us um so that we've got we can get your intent. It's it's complicated and it shifts over time. So particularly if you are interested in particular time frames like current is going to be easier for us to deliver that information to you.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Would you be able to commit to a review if there's an anomaly?
>> Uh so these all these allowances the classifications the security classifications the the stance of the operation are reviewed regularly through operation intelligence procedures and then it flows through into the allowance structure. So they are regular reviewed um if if um happy to receive if if there are particular concerns you're receiving happy to receive those for us to consider as part of those regular reviews.
>> Okay. Thank thank you. Um we've received knowledge that the ADF members This is going back to Sudan. I'm sorry I'm jumping around. I saw the word house and thought I must bring it up later. We've received knowledge that the ADF members have to pay rent for their accommodation on the base in Sudan and due to having no messing facilities are required to purchase their own food. Would that be if that is uh I'm not aware of that. We >> So I'll get my office to contact or can you contact my office? >> Yes, we can. being separated from their family for such a long time can be very hard on ADF members especially in a high-risisk area. Are ADF members serving on operation as land entitled to a separation allowance? >> Uh I think the secretary noted there is there is quite complexity with who gets what allowance in terms of the situation but also the timing. So again, Senator, we can look ex particularly at that >> With the elections in the in Sudan, South Sudan taking place on 22nd of December 2026, there will be an increase in political unrest in the area. We've also seen the recent drone strike in the Aba region which killed more than 150 people. Will there be a reassessment of deployment and consider a reverse on the reduction in South Sudan allowance? So
we do monitor the situation where our troops are stationed on a regular basis and it and we do take into account all the latest intelligence as part of our assessment. So that would automatically be occurring
>> and we can discuss that. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you
chair. Thanks a lot, Senator. Um