The ever expanding minerals boom in Queensland and Western Australia has made heavy inroads into the skills of our Defence Force personnel. The need for pilots, engineers, heavy equipment drivers - and all faculties of science - has driven salaries to levels that are drawing our " best and brightest " away from more meagre government pay.
Now there is a clever plan to replace those losses !
We are about to raid the British army, navy and air force with an offer to jump ship and come to Australia - when their enlistment obligations end.
This really makes sense. We would be getting people who speak the same language and come from a similar cultural background, understand an almost identical discipline code - and are familiar with the same weapons used by both armies.
The fact that Britain is doing it tough financially, and about to implement a drastic code of spending cuts would be a big inducement. Servicemen and women would avoid the long immigration queues, be helped into Defence housing - and would be granted immediate Australian citizenship after just a twelve week probationery period.
It would be a quick way to replenish our dwindling defence numbers with trained people who would fit neatly into Australian life.
This idea also introduces another interesting thought. From next year we will see United States Marines progressing through the training facilities in northern Australia as part of the new defence pact with the USA.
America has similar financial problems to Britain - and financial cuts are looming. Perhaps some of these Marines will take a liking to our way of life and consider jumping ship and becoming members of the Australian Defence Force. Some will wonder if they will receive similar offers ?
It seems that we are well on the way to having a " Migrant " Army !
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