Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I doubt that Senator Abetz wants me to go to the question of defence acquisitions. I had great fun enjoying the Seasprite helicopter purchase under the former Howard government. We lost $1 billion of taxpayers' funds on a project that in the end we had to cancel because it had been so badly managed. If the opposition want to have a discussion about defence acquisitions, I am happy to have it.

We have a very proud record of serving in the best interests of the Australian people, be it in industrial relations, be it in education or be it in health. We are also very proud of our record in job creation. We have made the priorities of this government the priorities of the Australian people—their jobs, their education, their health and the future of their children. Those are the priorities that we always have at the forefront of the government's policy decisions.