By Victoria Stone-Meadows
The City of Casey has unanimously passed a motion to call on federal politicians to introduce compulsory national service for all Australians 18 years of age.
Councillor Rex Flannery raised the notice of motion at a Casey Council meeting on Tuesday 18 July, after returning from a trip to Israel in June.
He said speaking to young people in Israel, where citizens are automatically drafted into the military for three years at the age of 18, inspired him to have the same discussion in Australia.
“I thought I would put it up and open the topic for discussion,” he said.
“I think we’re losing the war on crime as Melbourne is the number one crime city in Australia and we face things like alcohol abuse, one-punch attacks, stabbings, and murders; everyday someone is getting shot, domestic violence, and drug abuse, depression in kids and youth suicide, just so many things.
“The government is ploughing so much money into all these areas but we are not getting any results, as far as I am concerned.”
He says he doesn’t want to ship young people off overseas, but thinks a stint in the defence forces would help a lot of young people stay away from crime.
Cr Flannery also claimed serving in the military in Afghanistan would be safer for a lot of young people than being in Melbourne.
“When you really think about it, the number of soldiers in Afghanistan that have been killed, it is safer to go over and serve in the Australian Army in Afghanistan than it is to walk the streets of Australia,” he said.
“I don’t want anyone going and fighting overseas but young people today are being lost in the system and they need direction, leadership, and camaraderie and I think they can receive all those and get support in the army,” he said.
“I want young people to start taking pride in themselves and have a bit of respect and look after themselves because at the moment they are losing their way.”
Cr Flannery admits he has never served in any branch of the Australian Defence Force but said he wouldn’t hesitate to sign up to prove his point.
“I didn’t get to do national service when I was younger and I have been employed all my life but if I have to go to prove a point and to lead by example I would definitely go,” he said.
“I wouldn’t hesitate to go for 12 moths or two years to put my money where my mouth is because it is unfair for me to talk about it when I have never been involved.”
Cr Flannery also believes that drafting young people into the armed forces would help combat the threat of terrorism in Australia.
“With terrorism on the rise, having young people do national service can then back up police and if we have young people in their army uniforms walking around the street it’ll deter terrorism,” he said.
“They will also have direction in which way they want to go and we can give them the tools to go out and seek further education or work lives.”
Other councillors speaking in support of the motion at the meeting including conservative councillors Rosalie Crestani and Amanda Stapledon.
Cr Crestani spoke about how she had some conflicting feelings regarding the motion, despite helping Cr Flannery compose it.
“When I got home my heart sank because I am a mother and if we helped get this off the ground my almost 14-year-old son would soon be eligible for this,” she said.
“The conflict between mother and community leader is sometime at odds but it is really reassuring to think we can give this opportunity to young people.”
“I whole-heartedly support this and I think it’s for the best of the nation to strengthen us and our community.”
Councillor and co-deputy mayor Susan Serey said national conscription would give the youth of Australia more respect for themselves and others in the community.
“This is a great step forward,” she said.
“We have all talked about young people doing something constructive and building more love for our country because there are some of us in the community that don’t have that and they take it for granted.”
“It’s important we encourage our young people to realise what we have, let them find their way, get paid for two years and serve or be trained.”
The City of Casey will write to Federal Member for Holt Anthony Byrne, Member for La Trobe Jason Wood, Member for Flinders Greg Hunt and Defence Minister Marise Payne.
The letters will call on these members of Federal Parliament to consider introducing compulsory national service to all Australian citizens and permanent residents when they reach 18 years of age.
