Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on defence and to remind the nation that there are no better hands for the Department of Defence and its fighting men and women than the coalition, those on this side of the House. It is interesting to reflect that 1,600 questions have been asked during question time and, out of those, only one has been asked to me, by the member for Batman, on defence—just one. So let's be very up-front: those opposite are not interested in substantive matters of defence and national security. They are interested in politics, plain and simple.

The Leader of the Opposition has jumped on this like a rabid dog to a bone, despite the Leader of the Opposition being at the cabinet table when $16 billion was ripped out of defence. I wonder what the Leader of the Opposition said around that cabinet table. Perhaps he was too busy worrying about who he was going to backstab. So let's see this confected outrage for what it is. It comes from an opposition leader who is directionless.

The Minister for Defence, to his credit, has come out this morning and apologised for the comments that he made in the heat of the moment. I think it is reasonable to say that a rhetorical flourish is hardly reason for dismissal of a minister let alone a matter of public importance in the House. But if Labor wants to have a debate and if the member for Hunter, who has just turned up, wants to have a debate, let's have it. Let's not forget that those opposite had 16 ministerial reshuffles in the defence portfolio in six years. That is one every five months. The member for Hunter was removed for breaking the ministerial code of conduct. That is a fact. So if those opposite want to talk about the strengths of defence portfolio ministers they should be wary of the winding road and the red or blue tablet that you take.

I think it is reasonable to say that the Labor Party are directionless when it comes to the issue of defence. Arguments that seek to whitewash their shame, their inadequacy and their history of doing nothing will not wash in here. So let's put the facts on the table when it comes to defence in South Australia, because the facts and the truth, Member for Batman, will truly set you free.

This year the government will spend $34 million in South Australia on the Future Submarine program, building our competencies and knowledge base in cooperation with industry. Over the next four years, in anticipation of the defence white paper, $4.2 billion will be spent in South Australia. This year alone, almost $1 billion worth of defence procurement and sustainment work is being undertaken in South Australia. In fact, 25 per cent of all sustainment across the nation is South Australian. That state is seriously punching above its weight on numbers, to its credit. There are 44 separate acquisition projects, including: the air warfare destroyer program; support for and upgrade of the P3 Orions; and upgrades to the Anzac class frigates and the army's communications systems.

South Australia is also home to some 58 separate sustainment programs, including the sustainment of Collins and the Jindalee over-the-horizon radar. In February this year, the PM announced that Australia will acquire eight P8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft that will be based at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia. The government will consider four additional P8As as part of the defence white paper process. There are enormous opportunities for industry and jobs in South Australia. Businesses in that state stand to benefit by as much as $1 billion through the construction of facilities at Edinburgh and elsewhere to meet the requirements.

In March this year, the Prime Minister announced the government had committed to the acquisition of the highly capable Triton UAV. This will also be based in Adelaide, South Australia, bringing significant further economic benefits. The acquisition will require approximately $140 million worth of new facilities, $100 million of which will be invested in South Australia. Support requirements for Triton will create a further $20 million worth in opportunities annually for businesses in South Australia. In March, the Prime Minister announced a contract that includes $78 million in work for BAE in South Australia, part of a five-year multimillion dollar contract with Boeing for the sustainment of the Wedgetail.

As you can see, there is an enormous amount of work that goes to South Australia. There is a plan for shipbuilding, and there is a plan for shipbuilding in South Australia. There are management issues. There is no question about that when it comes to our fleet of ships. There is a reform strategy for the air warfare destroyer project, a gift from those opposite two years late and up to $600 million over budget. There is nothing like fiscal gifts from the Labor Party!

In June, the government committed a further $78.2 million to accelerate work on the future frigate that will keep alive the option of building future frigates in Australia—another gift, legacy and disgrace left by the Labor Party. Be in no doubt—the nation should be in no doubt at all—that there is a huge budget being spent on defence work in South Australia.

The substance of this motion is fraudulent. We know it, the House knows it and the member for Batman knows it. Let's not forget the without-precedent and baseless slur in Senator Conroy's attack on Lieutenant General Campbell. Senator Conroy is the shadow minister for defence. He accused a three-star general, one of the most senior military officers in the country, of running a political cover-up. What did the leader of the opposition do? Nothing. The shadow minister for defence accused an outstanding, credentialled three-star general of a cover-up, and the Leader of the Opposition turned his back. Did he demand an apology from Conroy? No. Did he censure Conroy? No. Did he demand Conroy make public statements? No, he turned his back.

And what did the member for Batman do about that? On 27 February this year, during an interview with Peter van Onselen on Sky, this issue was raised. The member for Batman said of the matter that it was sufficient for Senator Conroy to withdraw his remarks—it was sufficient. That was the member for Batman's view—that it was sufficient that Senator Conroy just withdraw his remarks after saying to a three star general: 'This is a cover-up'.

Yet today, clearly, the Minister for Defence publicly apologising and making a statement in the Senate is not good enough. It is good enough for Senator Conroy but not good enough for anyone else. Do you know what that is called? It is called hypocrisy. It is called hypocrisy—writ large. It is called a whitewash too. It is called a brood of vipers. It is called hypocrisy.

If we want to talk about hypocrisy, if we want to unpack hypocrisy from the Labor Party, the list is long. I refer to a publication, The Little Book of Labor's Defence Backflips, that goes through about 30 of them in nauseating detail. Let us look at them. Prime Minister Rudd sent an adviser to the national security cabinet. Prime Minister Gillard sent her bodyguard to the national security cabinet. Defence spending reached the lowest level of GDP since 1938. On 38 occasions, Labor ministers promised three per cent growth in the Defence budget, and what did we get? $16 billion worth of cuts. You did not even come close, did you? You missed it by this much!

You promised, before 2007, to index DFRDB pensions. How did that go? It went nowhere! In fact, this side of the House tried to pass private members' bills, as well as using other processes of the House. There were three attempts. And what did you do? You broke the promise. You promised to build 12 family health clinics. How many did you build? None. You promised to look after Defence personnel—and then you tried to take travel away from 21,000 of them. You decided in 2013 to have a white paper, and all you had was some dross you served up with a $150,000 backdrop of jets, fighters and other defence gear. Your 2012-13 budget delayed and cancelled capability—a 34 per cent reduction in Defence Capability Plan funding and over 40 per cent of DCP projects impacted by cuts. Despite all that, the Labor Party has the temerity, the audacity, the blatant effrontery to come in here and demand that we remove an effective defence minister. Hypocrisy, my friend. Hypocrisy is your name.

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