Advocates for gay and lesbian service men and women have welcomed the appointment of Mr Andrews, one of the government's most socially conservative members, halfway through the implementation of a cultural change policy aimed at making the military more inclusive. Prime Minister Tony Abbott says Kevin Andrews will be a "steady pair of hands" in the critical portfolio. Credit:Andrew Meares Executive Director of the Australian Defence Association, Neil James, said Mr Andrews' "no interest" remark was made to his predecessor, Mike O'Connor. Mr James told Fairfax Media the association keeps a list of parliamentarians who make such remarks and also curates a list of the interest taken by all MPs and senators and their voting records. "It's not a list we broadcast, but it's a long list," Mr James said.

"The ADA has a very long corporate memory. We never forget. The minister can't remember the conversation. Hopefully we'll move on from it," Mr James said. Illustration: Cathy Wilcox Mr Andrews' confirmed he contacted the Australian Defence Association on Monday. "I spoke with Mr James this morning and assured him of my commitment to defence," he said. Earlier, Mr James had said the association was "reasonably disappointed" in the appointment of Mr Andrews, describing it as another "terminal posting" for a politician in the twilight of their careers. "Defence is getting very, very tired of receiving ministers who are really in their last term or two in Parliament. What we need is younger and more able ministers with a future ahead of them," he said

Mr James said it can take a new minister up to six months to get across the diverse and critical portfolio. The ADA has a very long corporate memory. We never forget. The minister can't remember the conversation. Hopefully we'll move on from it "It's always better if a minister for defence has some prior experience in the portfolio at a more junior appointment," he said. "We fear there could be quite grave consequences of this change." Previous ministers like Peter Reith, Robert Hill Stephen Smith and John Faulkner all occupied defence as their ministerial swansong.

Scott Morrison had been touted as the next defence minister to replace David Johnston but he has been handed the task of reforming welfare and getting more people into work as Social Services Minister – the post Mr Andrews will leave to oversee defence. Mr Andrews steps into the role at a critical time for the Department of Defence, with the first review into its structure since the 1950s underway and a White Paper due. The government also has to move forward with the acquisition of a new fleet of submarines. Mr Johnston famously landed in hot water when he declared he did not have confidence that the nation's public shipbuilder could "build a canoe". Squadron leader Vince Chong, an Air Force aerospace engineer and president of the Defence Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Information Service (DEFGLIS), said the group would not jump to judgment at Mr Andrews' conservative views but offered to work with him to continue the success of the "pathways to change" workforce culture program. "Let's wait and see. No one can predict the future decisions a minister might make," Mr Wong said.

He said defence chief General David Hurley, a committed Christian like Mr Andrews, had overseen progress for gays and lesbians in the military, including involvement in the Mardi Gras. In July, Mr Andrews drew fire for agreeing to be the "ambassador" for a Melbourne conference of the World Congress of Families, where his fellow speakers would include Larry Jacobs, a supporter of Russia's crackdown on gay pride and "homosexual propaganda". Dr Jacobs last year said Russia was "preventing [gays] from corrupting children". Mr Andrews later pulled out of speaking at the conference. Mr Abbott said Mr Andrews was one of the government's "most experienced ministers" and would be a "very safe pair of hands" in the portfolio. Follow us on Twitter