Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Do documents exist that confirm an understanding, agreement or commitment for Japan to build Australia's new submarine fleet?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not to my knowledge.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to a news report in The Australian yesterday, and I quote:

… the federal government single-mindedly pursued a plan to buy the navy's new submarines from Japan.

I ask the minister again: do documents exist that confirm an understanding, agreement or commitment for Japan to build submarines for Australia?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not to my knowledge—for a second time.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer the minister to Peter Hartcher's article in TheAge,on 20 February, and I quote:

The government was on the brink of announcing the decision to buy Japanese.

So I ask the minister again: do documents exist that confirm an understanding, agreement or commitment for Japan to build submarines for Australia?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the readers of Hansard, see the answers to the two questions above.