A government's first priority is to ensure the nation's defence and security. And adequately resourcing defence is a core part of this responsibility. At last year's election, the Coalition declared a three-pillared commitment that would deliver a stronger Australia Defence Force and repair the damage done by six years of Labor mismanagement. Those three pillars were to:

• make no further cuts to defence spending;
• return the defence budget to 2 per cent of gross domestic product over 10 years; and
• reinvest any savings found in defence into military capability.

The May budget made clear that the Abbott government's intent to return the defence budget to a sure footing was not negotiable. Noted defence analyst Mark Thomson, of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the 2014-15 defence budget was "as good as it gets in an environment dominated by fiscal concerns". He also said "not only has defence received more money in the near term, but a credible path to 2 per cent of GDP has been established".

Not only has a responsible budget path been identified and actioned to restore defence spending, a properly costed white paper and force structure review is well under way for reporting in 2015. Furthermore, three specific commitments have now been delivered.

The first of those was to reintroduce the popular, highly successful ADF gap-year program. This scheme gives young Australians the opportunity to experience military life for a year and learn skills that will ultimately help them get a job, if not in the Defence Force then in the wider workforce.

Before it was cut in 2012, the gap-year program went from strength to strength: 53 per cent of the 2500 young people who took part went on to join the permanent or reserve forces. The program also appealed to those who might not have initially considered an ADF career, such as women and indigenous Australians. In fact, before it was cut, it was the most successful female recruitment path into the ADF.

The gap-year program was relaunched in April this year. It is an investment in young Australians. The first cohort will begin their gap year in early 2015, undertaking military training and acquiring transferable professional and life skills – all while being paid a salary.

The second commitment reflects the government's strong belief in the unique nature of military service. At last year's election, the Coalition committed to indexing two military superannuation pensions – the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits and the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits funds – in the same way as the age and service pensions. Despite the Labor government's six years of opposition to this, the Parliament legislated to provide fair indexation for DFRB and DFRDB superannuants in March this year. This ended what was perhaps the veteran community's longest-running grievance and ensured that about 57,000 military superannuants and their families would be better off.

The third commitment supports the families of ADF personnel by providing them with free GP and basic allied healthcare. Families have the biggest influence on whether a person stays in the ADF and are the ones who provide personnel with the greatest support. The government met this commitment in January this year when the national ADF family health program was rolled out to more than 70,000 eligible dependants. I have long believed that the more support we provide to ADF families, the more support they can provide to personnel. The family health program does this and has received overwhelming support. In just eight months, almost 15,000 ADF personnel have registered over 34,000 spouses and dependants for the program.

Delivering these commitments within our first year in office underscores the government's commitment to ADF personnel and their families. However, we have more to do.

I remain resolutely committed to supporting our personnel, which is why, in August this year, I announced the trial reserve assistance program. This provides a comprehensive range of support services to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the ADF's 47,000 reservists. I am also personally ensuring that Defence Housing Australia provides more modern housing for ADF personnel and their families, right across Australia.

The 2014-15 budget was a turning point for defence, for our national security and for our military personnel and their families. As recent events have shown us, the world can be an uncertain and unsettling place. A strong Defence Force and strong budgetary position are Australia's national insurance policy.

Stuart Robert is the Assistant Minister for Defence and the federal member for Fadden.