Fed: Defence Minister orders reviews

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2006
Fed: Defence Minister orders reviews

CANBERRA, Feb 19 AAP - Defence Minister Brendan Nelson has ordered two independent
reviews into military equipment and spending amid concerns about mismanagement.

Soldiers last week revealed problems with equipment including flammable combat jackets,
boots that caused serious foot injuries, ill-fitting body armour and camouflage clothing
that glowed when seen through night-vision goggles.

And questions have been raised in Auditor-General reports about over-spending and deadline
blowouts in major military projects.

Dr Nelson said while he had been assured by defence chiefs that there were no problems
with military equipment being used by troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, he had ordered
a review of the supply system.

"What I want is a person with specific accounting and financial expertise and probably
two people with seniority who are very familiar with defence and defence personnel and
their requirements," Dr Nelson told the Nine Network.

"I don't think there is anything about which we ought to be concerned in a criminal
sense ... (but) if you are going to have problems you often find it, if you like, at the
rats and mice ends of things in terms of money than you perhaps often do at the larger
end."

Dr Nelson said while there were 16 remediation programs in place dealing with issues
raised by the Auditor-General, he was also planning to put in place a new body to find
ways to cut spending, to be known as the business improvement board.

"I don't think it's good enough for us to simply sit around and wait for the cabinet's
razor gang, or expenditure review committee, to announce that we have to cut back funding
in various areas," he said.

"I think we need a model that is led by a hard-edged business person that can look
at implementing continuous productivity improvement within the Department of Defence.

"We've got to grab cutting edge IT and technology as soon as we can, we've got to skill
our people effectively, we've got to cut red tape and we've got to save money."

AAP pjo/jt

KEYWORD: DEFENCE NELSON

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.