Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has slammed the Government’s decision to increase the wages of defence personnel by only 1.5 per cent per year for the next three years, which is in effect a pay cut to our armed service ‘heroes’ considering it is less than the rate of inflation.

“We have relegated the men and women who risk their lives for our country to second class citizens.

“We all appreciate in today’s world that if you are in the armed services you will almost certainly be sent to serve overseas in harm’s way. Yet this in effect says to our troops you are substandard," Mr Katter said.

Australia’s inflation rate is currently 2.3 per cent.

“1.5 per cent is well below the national inflation rate. This pay rise is in effect a pay cut for defence force personnel.

“The action taken by the Government yesterday in regard to our soldiers is simply unconscionable,” Mr Katter said.

In 2012 Mr Katter introduced legislation to look after soldiers and ensure they received the same deal as other Australians.

The Fair Indexations of Military Superannuations Entitlements Bill 2012 required military veterans to have their superannuation pensions indexed in the same way as other Australian Government income support pensions.

“We politicians give ourselves pension increases that are based on average weekly earnings or the CPI, whichever is the better deal.

"The Government has not seen fit to give our armed services the same deal in this pay increase,” Mr Katter said.