David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to the fact that during the recent keel-laying ceremony of the air warfare destroyer, the Labor government announced further cuts to Defence spending under the guise of smoothing work for industry. Does the minister recognise that the Gillard government in fact has created gaps in workflow through their recent budget decisions and deferrals? Does he understand that the one-year extension will not even come close to bridging the gap in ship-building work, given the government's procrastination over the last three years in making a decision on the future submarine project?