Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I anticipate none, but I want to make it very clear that the government commenced a defence budget review in 2011 to improve estimation processes in defence, which goes to the heart of this question. Global and domestic economic circumstances have changed significantly since the white paper. The effects of the global financial crisis have contributed to unfold with unexpected severity and duration during the 2009 Defence white paper. Accordingly, the Defence funding model is one of the strategic issues which will be considered through a white paper process. In the meantime, Defence has made a contribution to the return of the budget to surplus, as have other departments and agencies. The 2013 timetable is achievable. The majority of the inputs to the new white paper are already complete or are underway. That includes the Defence Planning Guidance, the Australian Defence Force Posture Review— (Time expired)