Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Following on from that response to the member for Canberra's question, I note that you, on behalf of the Abbott government, have invested more than $5 billion in the last 12 months on new defence capabilities. This will have a wonderful long-term investment impact on our defence industries, as well as on our defence personnel and capability. I am reminded, as the member for Canberra knows, that on Friday the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade had an inspection tour of Amberley. We attended that facility by flying from here in a Hercules—a bit of low-altitude flying on the way.

We landed at Amberley and had a briefing on some of the new facilities and the new capabilities that are happening there. One of particular interest was the C17. We saw how amazing this aeroplane is, how it can be equipped with operating theatres, how it can carry so many personnel and how it has such a variety of capabilities. Perhaps I can take a moment to acknowledge the squadron leader of the C17, Squadron Leader Samantha Freebairn, who is a role model not only for women in the defence services but for women everywhere. She is quite an outstanding leader in what she does.

Minister, I was wondering if you could detail some of the new capabilities in which you are investing and some of the commitment that you have made to acquiring and also guaranteeing funding, so that we can make sure that we do not get that problem that we had under the previous Labor government.

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