Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Minister for Defence has failed to apologise for insulting the highly skilled workforce at the Australian Submarine Corporation. If he will not say sorry, why don't you just sack him?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has repeatedly said how much he regretted that statement, which was something that was said in the heat of debate and which should not have been said. Again, I remind the Leader of the Opposition of his own record when he was in government. The Leader of the Opposition cut $16 billion from the Defence budget. Members opposite, all of whom sat around the cabinet table under the former government, were responsible for cutting $16 billion from the Defence budget. They were responsible for taking defence spending as a percentage of GDP down to the lowest level since 1938.

The debate in question was a debate about the Australian Submarine Corporation. It was a debate about the Air Warfare Destroyer project. As the Australian National Audit Office found, thanks to the mismanagement of members opposite, thanks to the chaos and confusion of the former government, this project was at least $300 million over budget, and it was at least 21 months behind schedule. Over budget, behind schedule—yet another mess that Labor created; yet another mess that this government is fixing. I want to thank the minister. I want to thank the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Industry for getting this matter in hand and for solving a problem that the Labor Party has created.

Ms O'Neil interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hotham will leave under 94(a).

The member for Hotham then left the chamber.