FEDERAL Member for Kalgoorlie Barry Haase has slammed the Federal Government for insisting the Esperance Returned Service League (RSL) pay for a decommissioned Leopard Tank that was expected to be a gift.
The Howard Government announced prior to last year’s election that the Leopard tanks would be replaced with the new Abrams tank after an illustrious 30-year history serving the Australian Army.
The decommissioned tanks were promised to veteran and historical organisations around the country and the Esperance RSL sub branch was told they were guaranteed to receive one of them.
The Rudd Labor Government has since told Esperance RSL and other similar organisations around Australia that they will have to pay up to $10,000 in delivery fees for the tanks.
Mr Haase said the decision was disgraceful and unfair on the RSL.
“The decision is a disaster for the operating budget of the Esperance RSL.
“Telling people the tanks are going to be gifted and then turn around and say ‘by the way you have to pay for the delivery of the tank’ is really treacherous.
“What a smack in the face that is, it’s not like posting a letter.
“A re-elected Coalition Government was committed to providing Esperance RSL sub-branch with a tank and there were never any strings attached.”
RSL member Merv Andre coordinated the application for the tank and said its acquisition would be extremely valuable not only to the RSL but everyone in Esperance.
“We are going to make every effort to get it here.
“Several of our members served on them and worked on them so it would be nostalgic for them.
“It would be great to have it here to show younger generations what previous generations have done.”
Mr Haase said making the RSL fund the delivery disregarded their financial capacity.
“It’s really very poor form by the government to hit up a poor RSL that is struggling for mass funds that were accounted for in the budget.
“The tank is important to the members of the RSL and I know they will do whatever they have to.”
However Mr Andre said he understood the government’s argument.
“The tanks aren’t a small thing to move, they are 4.2 tonnes, nine and a half metres long and three and a half metres wide.
“I put the idea to the army that they should put it on a truck and drive it down here as a training exercise.
“But if they did that for us they would have to do the same thing for everyone else and they just don’t want to.”
Mr Haase said he would do as much as he could to help the RSL obtain the tank.
“There isn’t much that I can do to help other than embarrass the government and look for possible funding opportunities, that’s my strategy.”
“I have already written to the current Minister for Defence and he isn’t going to get out of it without a few scars.”
“Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon should remember what the commitment was before the election and make sure delivery costs are funded so as to ensure Esperance has the tank which would be a daily reminder of the contribution made by those men and women who served and continue to serve Australia in uniform.”
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