Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. Minister, former defence minister Mr Andrews repeatedly justified the government's sham competitive evaluation process by saying it was necessary to ensure the first Future Submarines were built by the mid-2020s. Yet the defence white paper now clearly states that the Future Submarines will not be built until the early 2030s. When asked about the decision to delay the build by nearly a decade, former Prime Minister Mr Abbott said he was 'not just disappointed' but 'flabbergasted'. Why has the minister walked away from Mr Abbott and Mr Andrews's promise to deliver our Future Submarines in the 2020s?