Australia has no plans to follow the lead of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and revive compulsory national service, as the Federal Government pursues less contentious options to fill defence personnel shortages.
Mr Sunak wants to force 18-year-old Brits to choose between 12-months in the military or volunteering in their community if he wins the upcoming UK election.
The Conservative Party leader is pitching the controversial idea as a chance to foster national pride, arm the next generation with re-world skills and steer troubled youth away from lives of “unemployment and crime”.
Mr Sunak has suffered a disastrous start to the election campaign and is widely tipped to lose the July 4 poll, meaning the policy is unlikely to ever be implemented.
But the announcement will re-ignite debate about the merits of national service, including in Australia, where former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been a high-profile advocate.
Earlier this year Mr Abbott told The West Australian that the country needed to shed the “something for nothing” mindset that he believes is “all too prevalent” among the population.
Labor has long been opposed to mandatory national service, with the last form of conscription — the “birthday ballot” during the Vietnam war — abolished under Gough Whitlam in 1973.
Responding to Mr Sunak’s announcement, a spokesman for Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed “conscription is not something the Albanese Government is considering”.
The Federal Government is pursuing a raft of other policies to address a recruitment and crisis crisis that has left the military more than 4000 personnel short.
That includes considering allowing foreigners from allied countries — such as Five Eyes partners the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand — to serve in the Australian Defence Force.
A suite of incentives are also being used to retain personnel, including a $50,000 bonus payment to ADF members who commit to stay on beyond their mandatory four-year stint.
One potential use for a national service would be helping communities during and after natural disaster, a role the ADF has been relied to fulfil during the major fires, floods and cyclones of the past four years.
The Federal Government has accepted the reliance on the ADF is unsustainable and has been exploring options to ease the burden.
The idea of establishing an entirely new civilian defence force is off the table, with the Government instead committed to building up existing capabilities.
This month’s Federal Budget included an extra $35 million to boost aerial firefighting after last year’s investment in the Disaster Relief Australia volunteer force and national emergency management stockpile.