Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Defence (Senator Johnston) to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today.

It really is quite interesting to watch a ministerial career disintegrating before our eyes. We have a minister in Senator Johnston who does not have the confidence of his Prime Minister, who does not have the confidence of the Australian public, who does not have the confidence of his own backbench. This is a minister who is incompetent and cannot deliver in the interests of Australia's defence priorities.

And it is not just the opposition senators that are saying this. As the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Wong, drew to our attention, the South Australian parliament has unanimously passed a resolution condemning Senator Johnston. I want to read what the South Australian parliament says. This is Independents, Labor, Liberal—it is all parties in that House. It says that the Premier will move that the South Australian Parliament: '(a) condemns the remarks of the Commonwealth Minister for Defence that he would "not trust the Australian Submarine Corporation to build a canoe", (b) reaffirms its support for ASC workers and all other South Australians employed in the defence industry, (c) demands that the Abbott Liberal government upholds its election commitment to build the 12 future submarines in Adelaide, and (d) notes that Australians should have the right to trust the word of their leaders when it comes to decisions that affect the national security of this country.' Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to table the resolution of the South Australian parliament.