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

Where were Labor senators when $16 billion was taken out of this portfolio? Where were Labor senators when no submarine project was forthcoming? Where were Labor senators when the air warfare destroyer build program was several hundred million dollars over budget and two years late?

We want to and will support Australian Defence personnel, but we are cleaning up an enormous mess in this portfolio. We have taken Defence's share of the budget, in GDP terms, from 1.56 per cent—it was last there in 1938—to 1.8 per cent of GDP in just one budget. This is a good thing for ADF personnel.