Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I have already made reference to our quite stringent defence export control provisions, but I can refer to those again if the senator wishes. The assessment of the application considers the goods or the technology, the way it will be used and who it will be used by—the end user. It also includes looking at the risk of it being diverted to another end user. All exports will continue to be assessed under Australia's export control provisions.

I would note for the record that in 2015 the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in a bipartisan report, as I understand it, recommended key elements of the Defence industry policy statement and of the export policy. These are matters which have previously been considered by the parliament. Our primary focus is, of course, on our key relationships with the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and like-minded countries such as Canada, and then, of course, into our region. The observations that Senator Whish-Wilson makes in relation to matters concerning Saudi Arabia are not the focus at this stage. (Time expired)