Fed: Govt looking after its own with fort about face: Labor

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2000
Fed: Govt looking after its own with fort about face: Labor

By Denis Peters

CANBERRA, Dec 21 AAP - The federal government was clearly looking after one of its
own by moving an active army unit out of Melbourne to maintain a presence in a marginal
rural electorate, Labor said today.

Retiring Defence Minister John Moore was under fire today over the decision to move
a unit to the historic Fort Queenscliff base despite the earlier decision to close it
as a cost-cutting measure.

Local Liberal Corangamite MP, Stewart McArthur, is reported to have claimed an army
presence at the site was worth $20 million to the local economy.

His seat is held by a margin of 4.5 per cent.

Mr Moore said today unsuccessful attempts had been made to sell the property but denied
the army had been pressured to move in another unit.

Opposition defence spokesman Steven Martin said Fort Queenscliff was one of several
identified for closure in a defence efficiency review.

"I know that Stewart McArthur, the local Member, was lobbying for it to be retained
with some form of defence presence," he said.

"I know that he was lobbying very heavily on both sides of the house for the committee
to actually recommend that (renovation) proceed.

"This has been a deal where, on one hand, the government has been talking about trying
to ring out efficiencies in the defence organisation, but when a local government member
perceives electoral problems, then the government steps in.

"In this case, they've transferred an operational unit out of Melbourne to Queenscliff,
just to sustain this property, significant as it might be.

"I just wonder in terms of the amount of money they are going to expend on this ...

it's not going to be just the initial movement, it's going to be the upkeep and so on."

Mr Martin said the facility should not be allowed to die.

"It's a wonderful piece of Australiana, a wonderful piece of Australian history, and
it should be looked after.

"But I just wonder whether this is not something which the government might not look
to some sort of an inter-governmental swap, to hand responsibility to heritage or something
like that."

AAP dep/daw/mg/bwl

KEYWORD: BASE MARTIN

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