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Defence Act 1903
32Simplified outline of this Division
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32 Simplified outline of this Division
A call out order is made by the Governor‑General if the Prime Minister, the Minister and the Attorney‑General (who are called the authorising Ministers) are satisfied of various matters.
There are 2 general kinds of call out orders: Commonwealth interests orders and State protection orders. For both kinds of call out orders, the Defence Force can be called out immediately or, under a contingent call out order, if specified circumstances arise.
Under a Commonwealth interests order, the Defence Force is called out to protect Commonwealth interests in Australia or the Australian offshore area. The order might apply in a State or Territory, or in the Australian offshore area, or in more than one of those places. Each State or self‑governing Territory in which domestic violence is occurring, or is likely to, would or would be likely to occur, must generally be consulted before the Governor‑General makes a Commonwealth interests order.
A State or self‑governing Territory can apply for a State protection order to protect the State or Territory from domestic violence.
A power under a call out order may be exercised in a State or Territory either because the State or Territory is specified in the order or because the power is exercised in the State or Territory for a purpose specified in the order.
As far as reasonably practicable, the Chief of the Defence Force must assist, and cooperate with the police force of, a State or Territory that is affected by a call out of the Defence Force.
Subdivision B—Making call out orders