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

As I was saying, why is Senator Johnston such a serial offender when it comes to attacking the ASC, even though he promised just two weeks ago not to do it? He promised the chair he would not do it. He is a serial offender because the lie is being exposed. Mr Abbott, not content with breaking all the other promises he made, is now breaking the promise to build the submarines, because he knows that he has already made a promise to the Prime Minister of Japan. We know this because the government keep backgrounding journalists about it. The government has backgrounded that President Obama, Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Abbott had a meeting just a few weeks ago in Myanmar and agreed that the Americans' weapons system would go into the Japanese submarines being built for Australia. Then, last week, the Prime Minister, Mr Abbott, told the President of France that the Japanese would be building the subs. In other words: 'Don't bother putting the French bid in.' That is why Senator Johnston is lashing out all the time at the ASC. That is why he is denigrating the workforce. That is why he is ignoring bids from Germany, from Sweden and from France—because he has got to try and cover the fact that the lie that was told before the election is going to be broken. What we saw yesterday was an absolutely outrageous attack that he had promised not to make. But it is worse than just, 'Oh, I gave a colourful flourish.' The Minister for Defence is undermining our national security. You cannot attack the workers who keep our subs and our submariners safe, who do the work—

Honourable senators interjecting—

The Prime Minister understood. The Prime Minister cut him loose last night and defended the workers. The Prime Minister understood what Senator Johnston did. He put out a statement defending the workers at the ASC. He cut that minister loose last night. This minister, the Minister for Defence for Australia, undermined our national security. He undermined the confidence. He went out there on the floor of the Senate and he basically said: 'Our subs aren't up to scratch. Don't you worry, anybody overseas. Our subs are hopeless.' He undermined our national security. The Prime Minister cut him loose. He knew what he had done. The Prime Minister put a statement out, and, as I said, the one sentence in it missing was: 'I have confidence in Senator Johnston.' That is the one sentence missing. This is what the Prime Minister said: 'The Australian Submarine Corporation plays a vital role in supporting the Royal Australian Navy and our key naval capabilities.' That is what the Prime Minister said. He knew he had to put out a statement supporting the workforce and the work that they do to keep our submariners safe—but not the irresponsible minister over there, because he undermined the vital role that is played by those workers. He undermined them, and he has been doing it for months and months. And he is doing it to cover up the political pain that he is in, because he knows that the lie that was told before the election is going to be exposed again and again and again. So last night's statement was clearly a statement of no confidence in this minister. Oh, Senator Birmingham has been dragged back by the whip! Welcome back, Senator Birmingham. I am looking forward to you speaking in a second.