Australian Defence Association expresses confidence in Marise Payne

The cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has replaced Kevin Andrews with Marise Payne as the new Defence Minister of Australia - a decision welcomed by the Australian Defence Association. The group expressed its confidence in Payne to bring stability to the department.

Payne, 51, has been sworn in as Australia’s first ever female minister of Defence on Monday, thereby creating history. Andrews, however, expressed his disappointment towards the decision of sacking him and said it would threaten the stability of the defence sector.

Neil James from the Defence Association said that if the coalition will win next election, Payne's appointment could provide stability .

"Senator Payne's appointment proves how wrong he was. She will provide continuity, but particularly if the Coalition win the next election, she could be the minister for the next three or four years," he told ABC News Radio. "And just like Robert Hill back during the latter half of the Howard government or Robert Ray in the latter half of the Hawke/Keating governments provide that continuity and stability because she's a senator with a parliamentary future ahead of her. Too often Defence has been forced to take ministers who are in the twilight of their parliamentary career and they've only stayed very short periods and she's the exact opposite of that."

James also pointed out that there are very few people in the parliament who would have taken more genuine interest in the defence portfolio and her appointment was just since she had a long standing one. Since she is a senator, she also doesn’t have to nurture an electorate. Meanwhile, NSW Senator Arthur Sinodinos also said that if the coalition survives the next election Payne would continue as the defence minister.

According to John Blaxland, a senior researcher at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre which is affiliated with the Australian National University, the appointment of Payne as the new defence minister is a positive development. He also said that it would be interesting to see how Payne will handle the issues surrounding women in defence.

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