<p>Petition SAF for same as NS SLAVES work very hard
</p>
<h1>Australia's navy is awarded a two-month Christmas holiday... on full pay
<br />
</h1>
<p> By <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter" class="author">Daily Mail Reporter</a>
<br /> Last updated at 11:49 AM on 18th November 2008 <a class="comments-link" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1086984/Australias-navy-awarded-month-Christmas-holiday--pay.html#comments"><span class="linktext"></span></a>
</p>
<p>While Britain's military is bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan, Australia's navy has just been awarded a big Christmas gift this year: two months paid vacation.
</p>
<div class="article-icon-links-container">
</div>
<p>The move is designed to ease the effects of a recruiting slump but critics claimed it made the service Down Under look something like a part-time operation.
</p>
<p>The navy hopes that by making life on the sea more family-friendly, it will attract the extra 2,000 sailors it needs achieve its target strength of 15,000.
<br />
</p>
<p>Critics say the so-called shut down, which inspired a front page newspaper headline Tuesday: 'Navy Closes For Christmas,' will worry Australia's major defence ally, the United States.
<br />
</p>
<div class="clear">
</div>
<img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/11/18/article-0-0283C837000005DC-233_468x301.jpg" alt="Feet up: There wont be much of this going on in the Australian Navy over Christmas" class="blkBorder" height="301" width="468" />
<p class="imageCaption">Feet up: There won't be much of this going on in the Australian Navy over Christmas
</p> 'Mothballing your ships for two months sends totally the wrong message to our region and to our allies,' opposition defense spokesman David Johnston said. 'I've never heard of anything like this. I'm flabbergasted.'
</p>
<h1>Australia's navy is awarded a two-month Christmas holiday... on full pay
<br />
</h1>
<p> By <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter" class="author">Daily Mail Reporter</a>
<br /> Last updated at 11:49 AM on 18th November 2008 <a class="comments-link" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1086984/Australias-navy-awarded-month-Christmas-holiday--pay.html#comments"><span class="linktext"></span></a>
</p>
<p>While Britain's military is bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan, Australia's navy has just been awarded a big Christmas gift this year: two months paid vacation.
</p>
<div class="article-icon-links-container">
</div>
<p>The move is designed to ease the effects of a recruiting slump but critics claimed it made the service Down Under look something like a part-time operation.
</p>
<p>The navy hopes that by making life on the sea more family-friendly, it will attract the extra 2,000 sailors it needs achieve its target strength of 15,000.
<br />
</p>
<p>Critics say the so-called shut down, which inspired a front page newspaper headline Tuesday: 'Navy Closes For Christmas,' will worry Australia's major defence ally, the United States.
<br />
</p>
<div class="clear">
</div>
<img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/11/18/article-0-0283C837000005DC-233_468x301.jpg" alt="Feet up: There wont be much of this going on in the Australian Navy over Christmas" class="blkBorder" height="301" width="468" />
<p class="imageCaption">Feet up: There won't be much of this going on in the Australian Navy over Christmas
</p> 'Mothballing your ships for two months sends totally the wrong message to our region and to our allies,' opposition defense spokesman David Johnston said. 'I've never heard of anything like this. I'm flabbergasted.'
