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

One of the reasons is because I have seen what the Labor Party delivers in its policy propositions to the Australian public. You are advocating that we do not learn the lessons of Collins. You are advocating that we go straight down the old Collins path where we take billions of dollars of money and heap it into a program that will be over budget and will be over time schedule but, more importantly, will not provide the capability that we need going forward. We will do this properly. I am very upset when the air warfare destroyer program is $100 million or $200 million or $300 million over book. Labor have no qualms about having an NBN that is $30 billion over book. Thirty billion dollars is what you bring to the table in losses. I am not going to deliver anything like that. We are looking for the best capability that Navy can have. Clearly, those on the other side of this chamber do not like the truth because they never tell the truth. They do not like the truth on this subject. (Time expired)