John Hogg (Queensland, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Campbell, Minister representing the Minister for Defence. I refer the minister to a Defence media release from 13 November 2006 about joint Australia-New Zealand Navy exercises off Perth this month. Can the minister confirm that the New Zealand ship HMNZS Te Kaha had an SH2G Seasprite helicopter on board? Is it not the case that New Zealand has had its Seasprite helicopters in service since 2001? Weren’t the 11 Seasprite helicopters ordered by Australia also supposed to have been delivered in 2001? Why is it, despite $1 billion of public money having been spent, that five years after the due date we are still waiting for a final decision as to whether the project will proceed or be dumped?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hogg for the question in relation to defence procurement. I have had a look through a list of the defence procurement briefs in a rather hefty file on that, and there is not one on that.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the Seasprite?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, there is not. I think a broader point needs to be made, and it is this: the Department of Defence does manage projects of national significance. The defence procurement is of an unparalleled size, cost, timescale, risk profile and level of technological complexity. These are very important questions. The federal Howard government has invested in a $28 billion boost to defence across the past decade. The examples of our defence procurement include an armed reconnaissance helicopter of $1.9 billion, of which expenditure in this current financial year is $262 million; the Anzac ship project of $5.372 billion, or $181 million in the current financial year; the Jindalee Operational Radar Network of $1.245 billion; the airborne early warning and control procurement of $3.53 billion, with current expenditure of $339 million; the additional troop lift helicopter of $3.75 billion, of which we are spending $120 million this year; the strategic airlift capability, another $1 billion plus; the Armidale class patrol boat of $548 million; the ADF’s air refuelling—

John Hogg (Queensland, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order on relevance, Mr President. I asked a specific question about the Seasprite. The minister has been unable to answer that question. I ask you to direct him to the question and to answer the question.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you have been asked a specific question. I think perhaps you should take it on notice.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I am making a point about defence procurement. The defence procurement program of the Commonwealth government is a substantial increase over and above what Senator Hogg’s Labor Party government spent. If the opposition are serious about specific defence procurement programs and if they want to take specific questions about specific projects in a range of—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order on my left! Senator Campbell, I remind you of the question.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Seasprite is one of in excess of 200 major defence contracts that this government has entered into because we care deeply about the defence of Australia. We have increased defence spending on Australia, as opposed to Labor, who ran it down. If they took it seriously, I would take them seriously.

John Hogg (Queensland, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a supplementary question, Mr President. I ask the minister, even though he has not indicated that he will, to take my primary questions on notice and get answers. Whilst he is at it, why is it that nine years after the contract was signed Australia still does not have any mission-capable Seasprite helicopters? Hasn’t $1 billion in public money been spent on this project? Why has the government spent $1 billion on a project that has not delivered a single fully functional aircraft to defence?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Defence is spending $28 billion on improving Australia’s defence capability over a decade. I have just outlined a number of major defence procurement contracts. They are of unparalleled size, cost, timescale and risk profile. The defence of Australia is a serious issue and I am very happy to get the details that Senator Hogg requests.