Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Again, Senator Shoebridge, I refer you to my first answer and I refer you to the many answers you were provided at Senate estimates where you were told that we are not going to provide details about individual arrangements with individual countries. But, as was also pointed out to you, Senator Shoebridge, at Senate estimates, when we're talking about defence exports we're not just talking about weapons and we're not just talking about arms. We're also talking about what is known as dual-use technology, things like radios or other technology and communications equipment, so you shouldn't assume that the existence of a permit means that a weapon has been exported to any country, whether that be Israel or any other.

But, for very good reason, we don't go around broadcasting details of export permits that we have with any particular country, because there are national security issues at stake, and this is a government that takes national security seriously.