CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia’s military is considering scrapping its tough anti-drugs policy in order to attract more recruits to the armed forces.
Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said he was considering scrapping the rule, saying a person’s character and ability should be the main tests for new defense recruits.
Under current rules, a person is automatically rejected as a recruit if they admit to having taken illegal drugs. Nelson said that meant someone who lied about drug use could be accepted, while an honest person would be rejected.
“I can say no to that (question) myself, but the reality is about 40-45 percent of the adult population have (tried drugs),” Nelson told a defense conference on Tuesday.
In his first major speech since he became defense minister in January, Nelson said he had taken responsibility for recruitment as Australia’s defense forces struggle to meet recruiting targets in Australia’s tight labor market.
In December, the government announced plans to expand the size of the army by about 1,500 over 10 years, from its current 42,000 soldiers, including 16,800 reservists.
But with Australia’s unemployment rate at near 30-year lows, the defense forces regularly fail to meet recruiting targets, particularly in some specialist areas.
Nelson, who was education minister before taking on defense, blamed school teachers for a culture where school leavers did not see the value of a defense career.
“Unfortunately there is a minority of those in the classroom teaching children that bring pejorative views to the task, not just in relation to defense but in relation to non-university based careers,” he said.
More related articles from this website...
Christmas Party TipsIts that time of year again when everyone wants to party. So I thought I would take this opportunity to mention Monica's party do's and dont's.Most parties that go wrong are poorly planned, disorganised, non-structured, or they become chaotic and/or out of control. This is when the wrong signals are sent out and when the trouble could start.If you plan....
How to be Sizzle & Dazzle Women with Powerful Posture & PresentationJames Bond is not just another guy who gets his way across with the most beautiful women in the world, with just “Dry Martini, shaken and not stirred”. There are a few important lessons which Sean Connery and later Pierce Brosnan have taught us. Exuding supreme self-confidence and style in every step, form part of their....
Dating and First Date Success - It’s All In The Preparation You Takedating can be stressful but first dates can be particularly painful and nerve wrecking. Follow my simple tips to getting ready for a date and before you know it you’ll be breezing through first dates with you’re only concern being what to wear on your second date. 1. Don’t stress! First of all, try not....
Bloody hell! UK censors risque Aussie adsThe country that gave the world such risque comic acts as Benny Hill, the Two Ronnies and Little Britain has banned Australia's new "bloody hell" tourism ads from television because they are too rude. Australian Tourism Minister Fran Bailey said Britain had banned the television ads, which end with a bikini-clad woman on a beach asking "so....
Racial Tension In AustraliaA working class view... Australia 2005 : The tension that exists in this country today is not new. The "US" and "THEM" attitude has always been here. The "US" meaning anyone born in Australia of Australian born parents, and "THEM" meaning everyone else.Todays Australian born Lebonese youths face the same problems that Australian born Greek and Italian youths experienced in the....
All posts to My Aussie BlogEvery post to My Aussie Blog is listed here. You will notice that from time to time the content of my posts will vary... thats because I get bored writing about the one topic all the time. I do however love to write about the exiting Internet dating scene in Australia... I never get bored writing about that. Please enjoy.......
Christmas RomancesTime To Party : I'm sure that the festive season is designed to make you feel like you're the only single person on the planet earth. Everywhere you turn there are images of chocolate-box families and adoring couples having a wonderful time. Schmaltzy love songs are inescapable and supermarket shelves groan under the weight of family-sized everything. If you are single,....
This Dating Site Is Red HotQuality Aussie Dating WebsiteFANTASTIC - is just one of the words that comes to mind when describing all the incredible services Redhotpie has to offer there thousands of horny male and female members.They have set the standards by which all other Dating Sites in Australia will be judged. No other Photo Personals website in Australia to-day offers so many exciting....
Using An Online Dating Service In Australia » Adult MatchmakerWith research showing that around 30% of us are looking online for friendship and/or romance, then using an online dating Service In Australia no longer has the stigma attached to it that it used to have say six or seven years ago. Using online dating sites are now an accepted way of meeting people, whether you....
Online dating service prelude to romance : AdultMatchMakerThe online dating service is instrumental in bringing together lonely hearts. Once the right ones meet up with each other, then the romance blooms and there is love in the air. There is someone waiting out there for everyone who is alone. Rules and do and don'ts on a first date When two people who have been....
My Aussie BlogHosted by yours truly, and gratefully assisted by various guest bloggers from around Australia. Topics covered include... Current Events, World News, Adult Relationships, Webmaster Tips, Sexy Strippers, Nightclubs, Fashion, Sport, Jokes, and anything else that gets our attention at the time.We also have a 24 Hour Live Chat Room thats open to all visitors, with no membership required to....
Cyber Sex In Chat RoomsMost Internet users have visited chat rooms. Probably all have received unwanted messages from other chat room users asking if they want ‘cyber’. For the innocent, cyber is code for virtual internet sex. Below is part of a conversation between two chat room users I came across recently… NaughtyNurse : Hi, are you a real Fireman? FiremanSam : I’m as real as Pamela....
The Dimension Of Online Personals : Adult MatchmakerSo youre a single person and you want to meet someone. Youve seen the commercials and probably received more than a few spam letters in your inbox advertising online personals. Youve thought about signing for one, but are unsure where to begin. There are so many choices out there for online personals that it makes you want to pull your....
Chat RoomsChat rooms have gained a bad reputation over the past few years so to-day I want to cover a few misconceptions.. A lot of people believe that chat rooms are for computer type geeks, criminals, perverts and mindless twits with nothing better to do. This connotation can be no further from the truth. In fact, the percentage of cases of....
The Beginners Guide To Online Dating - 5 Great Tips! » AdultMatchMakerDid you know that two out of five single people in Australia now use some kind of on line dating service? That's 40% of all singles! Unfortunately, the percentage of these people who actually find a real romance as a direct result of their site memberships is very low - probably less than 10%. Why is this?....
James Packer BossWay to go James :The web is full of stories at the moment about james Packer, son of the late great Kerry Packer. Only time will tell if he has the desire to take control of his late fathers business empire.If he were to ask me for advice, I'd say take the money and run. I'm sure he could afford....
Adult MatchmakerJoin Adult MatchMaker For Free Instantly : Sex Personals websites in Australia have become the single most sort after way of people meeting each other for casual or permanent relationships. The largest Adult Sex Personals online dating website in Australia to-day is Adult MatchMaker. Membership is free and allows you to access there huge database of over 700,000 members profiles.......
Your Dating Comfort Zone And How To Bust Out Of It » Adult MatchmakerHave your romantic aspirations flat-lined? Do the objects of your affections keep slipping out of your fingers? Are you over the singles life? Do you despair that you'll never find a soul mate? In short, is your love life an abject disaster? If this sounds all too familiar, you'll have to make some changes to get out....
Reasons Why Women Fall in Love with Older MenIf you are a man and you’re over 35 years old, if you are attracted by younger women but you are afraid of being rejected or not to be taken seriously, you will find out the real thing about this issue in this article. Let’s state an irrefutable fact: most women over 25 and single are already ....
Balancing Work And RomanceToday were going to look at balancing work and romance. Love can bloom in any place, even in the places that we do not expect it to grow. It is not impossible that this thing called love can grow even in the workplace. Yes, workplace,officemate. it is believed to be one of the best venue to fine....
Trackback URL for this post:
http://www.myaussieblog.com.au/australia-may-relax-drugs-policy-on-army-recruits/54/trackback/
Posted by Monica in My Aussie Blog