Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I certainly can. It is critically important to make sure that defence and defence industry in this nation have funding and program certainty, because that allows us to back in our defence strategy with credible force. It allows us to maintain our capability edge and it also allows us to invest in a far more resilient Australian sovereign industrial base here, right in Australia.

Let us never ever forget the legacy we inherited from those opposite in 2013. Under those opposite's two white papers, they stripped out $18 billion from the defence budget. The defence budget was cut to its lowest level since 1938, to 1.56 per cent of GDP. Not only did they take $18 billion out; they cut, delayed and cancelled 170 capabilities: deployable health, Collins sonar upgrades and maritime strike weapons. Under them, not a single submarine— (Time expired)