Senator MARSHALL (2:11 PM) —My question is to Senator Hill, the Minister for Defence. Would the minister inform the Senate exactly how many defence personnel deployed to the Persian Gulf have been returned to Australia because they refused to consent to the course of anthrax vaccines? Would the minister also confirm that the government only told crew they would be returned if they refused the inoculation after the 25 who initially refused on the HMAS Kanimbla had reduced to a number low enough to allow the ship to remain operational? Will the minister admit that the government in fact only told personnel of its changed policy to return everyone who refused inoculation on 7 February, three days after the inoculations began? Doesn't this show that the policy of returning those who refused the vaccines was only implemented after the government could be sure that the numbers returned would not jeopardise the deployment?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —The Chief of the Defence Force said in the estimates committee hearing that he would prefer not to give a running commentary on numbers whilst the inoculation process was taking place. That process is still continuing, of course, as there are three injections within each inoculation. The Chief of the Defence Force undertook to give the numbers at the completion of that process, and on reflection I think that is a sound way to address this matter. In relation to the so-called change of policy, there was in fact no change of policy. The order was given by the Chief of the Defence Force, and it was not changed at any time.

Senator MARSHALL —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, how many personnel have now submitted a formal grievance about this process? Will the ADF be conducting an investigation into the inoculation process and in particular into why what personnel were told about the consequences of refusing inoculation changed between 6 February and 7 February?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —I have just said that there was no change in policy on this matter. The order was given that those going to the Middle East area of operations needed to be inoculated against anthrax. That order was issued pursuant to a policy position on voluntary inoculations which was made in 2000. So there has been no change of policy in relation to this matter.