Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister responsible for emergency management. Minister, every year Australian governments spend a fortune leasing foreign firefighting aircraft like the acclaimed Erickson Air-Crane. Why don't we establish our own firefighting air force of large specialised aircraft? The Defence Force, for instance, operates hundreds of aircraft, many of which never see operational service. Imagine the good that a dozen or so large specialised firefighting aircraft would do. They could even be profitable by helping other countries in the northern summer.

See this speech in context