Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I see, he is in the other place. The inquiry into the Defence annual report 2005-06, which is the subject of the committee’s report that is tabled here today, was assisted by the ready availability of senior Defence personnel. The Chief of the Defence Force has cooperated and made himself available, for which the committee is very grateful. I know that Angus Houston has, over the many postings he has had in Defence, been very supportive of the defence committee and willing to assist wherever he can. The Acting Secretary of Defence and a range of other senior Defence personnel also made themselves available. The committee has enjoyed the cooperation of senior Defence personnel and, I have to say, the committee has also enjoyed the bipartisan nature with which defence inquiries of this kind are conducted.

I look forward to sometime, perhaps later this year, tabling the annual report review for 2006-07. The committee has been some time in delivering the 2005-06 report. That can be a factor of the sittings of the parliament and the workload on the committee. On this occasion it was exacerbated by the timing of the election. Nonetheless, it is an important part of the parliamentary process for key department annual reports to be reviewed by bipartisan committees. Although it has taken some time for the 2005-06 report to find its way here, I am very pleased to be able to present it to the parliament on behalf of the committee.

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