Tony Abbott's soldier pay rise risks dispute with Defence secretary Dennis Richardson

By John Garnaut and David Wroe
Updated March 6 2015 - 3:08am, first published March 5 2015 - 3:05pm
Close observers have told Fairfax that the Abbott government's latest policy surprise on defence pay puts at risk decades of painstaking effort to build an equitable, rational and durable defence remuneration system.
 Photo: Andrew Meares
Close observers have told Fairfax that the Abbott government's latest policy surprise on defence pay puts at risk decades of painstaking effort to build an equitable, rational and durable defence remuneration system. Photo: Andrew Meares
Close observers have told Fairfax that the Abbott government's latest policy surprise on defence pay puts at risk decades of painstaking effort to build an equitable, rational and durable defence remuneration system.
 Photo: Andrew Meares
Close observers have told Fairfax that the Abbott government's latest policy surprise on defence pay puts at risk decades of painstaking effort to build an equitable, rational and durable defence remuneration system. Photo: Andrew Meares
Department of Defence secretary Dennis Richardson appear before Senate estimates last week. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Department of Defence secretary Dennis Richardson appear before Senate estimates last week. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Close observers have told Fairfax that the Abbott government's latest policy surprise on defence pay puts at risk decades of painstaking effort to build an equitable, rational and durable defence remuneration system.
 Photo: Andrew Meares
Close observers have told Fairfax that the Abbott government's latest policy surprise on defence pay puts at risk decades of painstaking effort to build an equitable, rational and durable defence remuneration system. Photo: Andrew Meares
Close observers have told Fairfax that the Abbott government's latest policy surprise on defence pay puts at risk decades of painstaking effort to build an equitable, rational and durable defence remuneration system.
 Photo: Andrew Meares
Close observers have told Fairfax that the Abbott government's latest policy surprise on defence pay puts at risk decades of painstaking effort to build an equitable, rational and durable defence remuneration system. Photo: Andrew Meares

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has risked a dispute with his most experienced official, Dennis Richardson, by undermining decades of work to build a rational and independent system for setting soldier pay.

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