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$100k Audit to get to the Bottom of SAS Debt Recovery Action |
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Thursday, 05 March 2009 |
 An independent audit of the Defence Department by accounting firm KPMG will determine the number of special forces soldiers affected by a computerised pay bungle. This audit will cost $100,000, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says.
The action is the latest development in the tension between Mr Fitzgibbon and his own department.
The minister says he was forced to take the action amid continuing claims by soldiers of debt recovery following alleged over-payment of allowances.
Mr Fitzgibbon said he ordered the accounting firm KPMG to undertake the audit to settle ``once and for all'' whether any soldier had his pay deducted after a ministerial directive in October to cease debt recovery action.
``Although it is a significant amount ($100,000) it is a very small price to pay to ensure our special forces soldiers are being treated fairly and receiving all that they are entitled to,'' he said.
Claims of unfair debt recovery action against SAS soldiers were first raised last October by the Opposition defence spokesman, David Johnston.
Mr Fitzgibbon said Defence Force Chief Angus Houston and the head of the department, Nick Warner, had been asked to engage an independent financial auditor.
It would show the effect of the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal decision of March 2008 that led to the pay bungle, he said.
It would also clarify whether any soldiers received zero pay as claimed by several servicemen's wives or whether a February 18 directive by Air Chief Marshal Houston to stop debt recovery had been heeded.
Speaking in Sydney, federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said Kevin Rudd should sack Mr Fitzgibbon for incompetence.
``He's admitted he (Fitzgibbon) knows nothing and he's said he's going to get an outside auditor to come in and look at it.
``Well, we have in the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) the team that is ideally qualified, the appropriate team, to investigate this and they should get to work immediately,'' Mr Turnbull said.
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