Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. The Australian Labor Party always dislikes it when you point out to them the hypocrisy of their position. They attack men in uniform, and when it is drawn to their attention, indeed, as a headline shows, 'Stephen Conroy refuses to apologise', that is what the media told every Australian yet, somehow, Senator Conroy interjects that he did apologise. No, he did not. That is why the media was so highly critical of him.

In relation to Senator Johnston, he is a man that has been faced with an absolute debacle in defence. That is why he said in his statement that he regrettably allowed the frustration to get the better of him. In circumstances where everybody knows the importance of a submarine capacity and capability for our nation he came into office as the new Minister for Defence and found that all the planning that the Labor Party had done in relation to a new generation of submarine could be found on any blank sheet of paper anywhere in the nation. In other words, there was no work done whatsoever.

Indeed, in relation to Senator Conroy, who disgraced himself at estimates with Lieutenant General Campbell, we know what the men and women in uniform think of you, Senator Conroy. If I were you I would remain stony silent. Let us listen to what another Labor defence minister said:

Without having confidence in our capacity to sustain our current fleet of submarines …

I wonder who might have said that? Labor Minister Stephen Smith. So, when Labor Defence Minister Stephen Smith says:

Without having confidence in our capacity to sustain our current fleet of submarines …

it is a matter of great regret.

Honourable senators interjecting—