Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to the Hunter class procurement, this is something, as the senator knows, that when I was in opposition I asked a lot of questions about. It may well be that, with hindsight, Mr Pyne might have made a different decision than the one that he made. We came to government and we inherited this program. As you know, as a consequence of the Defence Strategic Review, the government commissioned a Navy surface fleet review which included the Hunter frigates. Obviously, the government will work methodically through the recommendations of that review, which was received in the last couple of months. I think the Deputy Prime Minister has made clear that the government will respond formally in the early part of next year. More broadly, the point about defence procurement and its capability in doing that, we are very conscious of the importance of trying to continue to reform— (Time expired)