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British, Canadian, American and New Zealand people will soon be able to join the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Australia is having problems getting people to join its army. The government hopes that opening up to people from other countries will solve its recruitment problem. The ADF needs around 4,400 workers. Only those who are permanent residents in Australia (who have lived there for a year) can apply. Australia's Defence Minister, Richard Marles, said it was possible that in the future, people from more countries could join.
Mr Marles said: "The Australian Government has chosen to grow the Australian Defence Force because it is essential to meet the nation's security challenges through the next decade and beyond." The Defence Ministry said: "We're being bold in order to grow the ADF. Recruiting from a wider pool of people will help ensure [the ADF] reflects the full diversity of Australia." The opposition Foreign Minister disagreed with the policy. He said it showed the government's failure. He said: "We should be seeing more Australians with the confidence to sign up."
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