Defence pay awaits report

Press, 23 November 1988, Page 3

Defence pay awaits report

PA Wellington Final decisions on a big internal review of Defence pay and conditions might have to await the presentation of the Quigley report on Defence resource management.

The internal review was completed last week and, according to Chief of Defence Staff, LieutenantGeneral John Mace, it contains detailed and farreaching proposals. He said the report, prepared by a small team under Commander Neil Jury, was not confined to pay, but ranged over all aspects of remuneration and conditions of service.

The acting Defence Secretary, Mr Roger Green, said yesterday he would have to check with Mr Derek Quigley on just how involved he has become in pay-fixing policy. On October 7, Mr Quigley said he would present his report in _ early

December, but Mr Green said he was not sure whether the report would be presented in part or whole or when. The internal report covered a number of issues which would have to be studied by senior people within Defence. He could not say whether new pay and conditions would be fixed by the end of the year. The Jury team of six was set up in April. Commander Jury said at the time the benchmarks used to set pay rates in the past were no longer appropriate. The Secretary of Energy, Dr Basil Walker, has been appointed Secretary of Defence for 18 months, and given the job of restructuring the department based on the Quigley review.

Dr Walker succeeds Mr Denis McLean who has held the post since 1979.