Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the defence minister if he would update the House on the Morrison government's commitment to a stronger Defence Force, and is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. He well knows, given his background in the defence portfolio, that this government is absolutely committed to investing in the men and women of the Australian Defence Force. We're not only interested in investing in them, but we're interested in making sure that we can give them the equipment and the stock that is available to help them help us to keep our country safe. We have made no apology for that. From day one we've ramped up, off a very, very low base, the investment that we've made in defence.

I always think that the Labor Party promises a lot when they're in opposition; when they get into government they do the complete opposite. Part of the reason, of course, is that they can only be in government with the assistance of the Greens, and the Greens demand that the defence budget be cut. That's exactly what happened when Labor was last in power, because defence spending under Labor fell to 1.56 per cent of GDP. It was the lowest since 1938. So when you hear the men and women of the Australian Defence Force saying that they don't trust Labor—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence will resume his seat. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is actually irony.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. There is no valid point of order. The Minister for Defence has the call.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You don't do anger very well, Richard; you know that. The reality is that this government is investing some $270 billion in Australia's defence capability. Now, you ask yourself the question: why would Labor have ripped money out of defence and out of ASIO and out of the Australian Federal Police and out of the ACIC when they were in government? It's because they lost control of our borders. They had lost control of our borders; that's the reality. And it's not just this Leader of the Opposition you need to be concerned about.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He's already made his point of order.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence will resume his seat.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to raise relevance.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just for completeness, there was no valid point of order. You can only raise relevance once. I'm happy to hear from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, this is the single occasion in this question where I would like to raise relevance. I fail to see how going to that is at all relevant to the question that was asked.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being relevant and I give him the call.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked about alternative approaches. The fact is that when Labor was in opposition last time, before the run up to the 2007 election, they promised Australia that they would keep the economy managed, as John Howard did, and that they would keep investment in defence going at the levels that the Howard government had. When they got into government they did the complete opposite. So don't look at what they do or say in opposition; look at what they do in government.

And it's not just the Leader of the Opposition that you need to worry about. The whole frontbench is like some sort of relic of the past from the Rudd-Gillard years. When you look at the number of boats that arrived on their watch, it gives you a bit of a flashback to the incompetence that they presided over when they were last in government. Don't forget that, if you look at the member for McMahon, one of our favourites, when it comes to tax policy— (Time expired)