Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition has come into this place wanting to debate multiple and repeated failures. We heard about some of those earlier today: multiple and repeated failures, like the skills shortages that they left our country confronting; like the lack of school funding; like the numerous climate policies, none of which they were able to deliver; like the housing shortage that they have left Australians confronting; like the lack of wage growth that existed under their watch; like the high rate of inflation that Australians faced under their watch; like their mismanagement of the NDIS; like their lack of support for Australia's manufacturing sector; and like the sorry state of affairs that they left our aged-care sector confronting.

But the most galling is to hear from those opposite about what they wish to debate today when they are led by a Leader of the Opposition who was also the Minister for Defence who repeatedly failed to support those who keep and have kept Australians safe. Those opposite, led by the former defence minister, now opposition leader, had the extraordinary practice in defence of making huge announcements carrying massive price tags but completely failing to put in place any of the necessary funding required. What's interesting is that the Leader of the Opposition doubled down on that in his budget reply, announcing policies about nuclear with no detail whatsoever and then having a fight, over the course of the week, between his shadow defence minister and his shadow Treasurer about the level of defence spending they would actually commit to, whether they would match our defence spending and whether they would try to increase their defence spending. Apparently the shadow Treasurer didn't agree to that either.

What we do know is what they did when they were in government: multiple and repeated failures, not delivering the necessary funding that was so important to delivering the capabilities that our Defence Force require. And I don't just mean the hardware; I mean looking after our defence people as well. That isn't limited to those currently in uniform; it includes failing to look after those that have hung up their uniforms.

The opposition leader as defence minister liked to roll out the red carpet, favouring cliched soundtracks and making grandiose statements, but, when it came to the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise, with a cost of $35 billion, they committed just $1 billion.

The members opposite want to know how this is relevant. A member raised an MPI in respect of repeated failures, and I am addressing exactly that.

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