Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware that the through-life cost of submarines can be as much as five times their purchase price? What guarantees can the minister provide to ensure that Australia will not pay through the nose for every spare part required to maintain the submarines that he plans to purchase from overseas? Is it not time that the minister just dumped the Prime Minister's thought bubble and recommitted to his election promise to build Australia's submarines— (Time expired)