David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I have had a number of meetings with Terry Roach and former Admiral Peter Briggs over the last five years at the Submarine Institute. I know them both very well and respect them highly. What they are saying, Senator, is that Australia has specific requirements for its submarine capability. I would have thought my knowing that in opposition would have meant you would have done something about those specific requirements, you would have actually put pen to paper and drawn up some plans, you would have had a concept, you would have had an idea, you would have actually done some work—but, no. The slate is perfectly blank. I have a clean sheet of paper to work with.