Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. In light of the Minister for Defence’s answer to the previous question that he was aware of only one communication from an SAS family number, being a phone call, and in light of the fact that we have in our possession an email dated 11 February from the partner of an SAS soldier to the minister to which the minister personally replied on 13 February, how can the Prime Minister have any confidence in this minister’s ability to undertake his responsibilities? Will the Prime Minister dismiss this careless, incompetent Minister for Defence?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is nothing like seeing the Leader of the Liberal Party in theatrical high dudgeon. It is worthy of an Academy Award. If the honourable member and the member for Curtin had bothered to check their facts, they would have noted that these matters were addressed by the Minister for Defence in a statement to parliament earlier today. I refer to the Minister for Defence’s statement to the House, which says:

… I wish to advise that during the past four months the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and I have received a number of emails and phone calls from members of the Defence Force and the public expressing concern about this matter.

That is what he said this morning—