David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer the minister to the legacy left by Labor of a Defence Force that has been hollowed out by a defence budget that has been gutted to the tune of $16 billion. Can the minister inform the Senate of how the budget reaffirms the coalition government's commitment to defence?

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

I thank the senator for his question and his longstanding interest in defence matters. The task to restore the defence budget is, as we all know on this side of the chamber, monumental. Those on the other side have been talking about deceit. Well, the architects of deceit—the people who wrote the book on it—are sitting over there when it comes to the defence budget. They had absolutely no qualms in ripping $16 billion out of the last four years of the defence budget. They told everybody they had a plan. They gave us a white paper in 2009. They had no plan and they had an unfunded white paper. In terms of finance the defence portfolio was an unsustainable mess. The first thing I was told in coming to the portfolio by the department was that the Defence Capability Plan is in financial disarray and the 2009 white paper aspirations are unaffordable. There is deceit for you. There is a monumental lie perpetrated on the Australian people. Labor left this important—

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Senator Cameron interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my left! Senator Johnston, continue.

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

Labor left this important portfolio in what has been described, as I say, by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute as 'an unsustainable mess'. In fact, the previous government slashed 10.5 per cent from the 2012-13 budget, the biggest cut since the Korean War, taking us back to a share of GDP for defence to 1938 levels. They moved 119 programs—programs often relating to men and women in the field in Afghanistan and their protection—to the right, delayed another eight and cancelled another 48 whilst we were fighting a war. (Time expired)

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister further advise the Senate how the budget honours the defence commitments made by the coalition at the last election?

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

Can I quote the author of the words 'unsustainable mess', the most respected commentator on defence economics and policy resourcing, Mark Thomson, from The Age:

A very good budget for defence.

He went on to say:

I was on the record saying that the budget Labor gave [in 2012] left things in an unsustainable mess. What we're seeing here is the first stage of the repair job.

Tuesday night's budget delivered on some very important election commitments. We said we would start on the road to two per cent of GDP for defence. We commenced that and Thomson has acknowledged that this is a strong and positive first step.

Thank you, Prime Minister Abbott; thank you, Treasurer Hockey and thank you—a real finance minister, may I say—Mathias Cormann. (Time expired)

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate how, under the coalition, defence funding as a percentage of GDP compares to Labor's record of mismanagement?

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

As I have said, the defence budget delivered by Labor in 2012-13 had defence expenditure as a percentage of GDP at 1.6 per cent—not seen since 1938 levels. We took that figure on Tuesday night to 1.8 per cent of GDP, on the road to the two per cent that we promised. The numbers are there for all to see. We on this side of the chamber are dinkum about Australia's defence. We are serious about protecting the men and women and the vital energy industries that go to East Asia into the future, come what may.

This government, may I say, has taken responsibility that was abrogated for the last five years in terms of defence. No nonsense—we are getting on with the job. The adults are back in the room!