Mr. Robert Gilbey:

I thank Mr. Cooney. As the Reserve Defence Force comes into the single force concept, the only way we can deliver on that within that structure, is if the availability and the quality of the Reserve Defence Force is guaranteed. In order for such a guarantee to take place and any significant change in mindset we need to address the balance of support between the Government, the country and its reserves. In order to guess the societal benefit of the reserves one has to pull that through the employers. We are accountable to our employers. If there was a need to mobilise reserves at short notice it would be very much a case of trying to provide the legislative enablers for that to that to happen. In the international comparators examined in the value for money review the key commonality between New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom is that all of them have employment protection legislation and some of them use incentives in order to make use of the reserves. All of them have employer liaison councils so that there is a dialogue between defence and industry. Given the report in 1999 of the special study into the Reserve, a liaison council between employers and defence was recommended although it was not established. Prior to that, the United Kingdom, which already has a significant source of support for reservists, is seeking to change its legislative measures in order that it can mobilise its reserves domestically with greater ease. At present it must have a ministerial sign-off in order to call out the Reserves but it is seeking to make that a much more local issue.

The key point is that without employment legislation it will be difficult to operationally use the Reserve Defence Force.