Fed: Labor says defence bureaucrats paid more than soldiers

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Fed: Labor says defence bureaucrats paid more than soldiers

Labor has accused the Australian Defence Force of paying its bureaucrats more thanuniformed soldiers serving in dangerous postings around the world.

Opposition defence spokesman CHRIS EVANS says there's been a big jump in the numberof civilians employed by defence with a massive increase in their salary bill.

But defence force chief General PETER COSGROVE says he doesn't want to buy into makingcomparisons.

Senator EVANS says new figures show that by June next year, the average salary paidto a defence department bureaucrat would have risen by nearly 40 per cent since June 2001.

General COSGROVE says he hasn't been aware of these figures.

AAP RTV mb/sb/dl/wz

KEYWORD: ARMCHAIR (CANBERRA)