Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I hear the interjections. Can I just remind the House that the Seasprite helicopter project—the Leader of the Opposition is agreeing it was the worst—was a project that was signed by the Howard government in 1997. It is true that the Keating government had an idea of placing a new helicopter on what was to be the offshore patrol combatant, a project in partnership with the Malaysian government which never transpired. When the Howard government were elected, and the combatant project was scrapped, they decided they would buy it anyway. They went to tender, chose the contractor—Kaman—and proceeded with the contract, which was signed in 1997. It was very much the project of those who sit opposite.

But I was trying to say that, while the Leader of the Opposition agrees it is the worst project, it is just one of many nightmare projects we have inherited from the former government—in fact, the list is very long indeed. But what are the others? I hear the shadow minister for defence, Senator Minchin, regularly these days denying these projects exist. He is in some form of denial. He knows only too well that these projects are very real. I am happy to brandish the folder—this catalogue of waste and mismanagement running into the billions and billions of dollars.

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