David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence Materiel, upon notice, on 5 March 2012:

With reference to the major project Maritime Communications Modernisation SEA 1442, can the following details be provided:

(a) the date that the project was first proposed to Government as a major capital equipment initiative;

(b) the date of the first estimated date, time period, for first pass approval, as per the Defence Capability Plan (DCP), or when it was first proposed to Government;

(c) the date of the first estimated date, time period, for second pass approval, as per the DCP, or when it was first proposed to Government;

(d) the date of first pass approval;

(e) the date of second pass approval;

(f) the estimated acquisition cost when first proposed to Government;

(g) the amount spent to date on this project;

(h) the current estimated acquisition cost;

(i) the date of estimated initial operational capability when first proposed to Government;

(j) the current date of estimated initial operational capability; and

(k) the reason(s) for the delay in this project, if applicable.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question:

The information you are seeking would require considerable research into historical Defence Capability Plans and project approval/management documents, and as such, is considered an unjustified diversion of resources.

Publicly available documents such as the Public Defence Capability Plan

(http://www.defence.gov.au/annualreports/) provide some detail on the information being sought.