David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. The budget papers, similarly at page 45, further say that the submarine fleet’s unit ready days will decline by 10 per cent in 2010-11 and 20 per cent in 2011-12. Why is there such a dramatic decline in submarine availability to protect Australia and its interests over the next four years and what precisely is your plan to fix that shortfall?