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

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Of the $1.1 billion identified in the 2010-11 Budget for soldier/force protection over the forward estimates as well as the $0.5 billion of funding provided under Operation SLIPPER:

(a) an amount of $875.1 million has been committed; and

(b) $537 million has been spent to 30 June 2011, with $215.2 million in 2009-10 and $321.8 million in 2010-11.

(2) Due to the classified nature of the capabilities being procured under the package a breakdown by individual initiative is not publically available. Of the initial estimate of $1.6 billion, an amount of $26.7 million is no longer required as the acquisition costs were less than expected, $126.4 million was re-programmed from 2010-11 to 2011-12 in the 2010-11 Additional Estimates and $1.8 million from 2009-10 is being re-programmed from within the funding allocated to Groups.