Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given the appalling handling of this SAS pay scandal, which has seriously undermined the financial security of our SAS soldiers and their families, will the Prime Minister advise the House of whether he retains full confidence in his Minister for Defence? In answering that question, will he take the opportunity to withdraw the shocking slur he has made against the integrity and the service of the member for Fadden?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government is determined to do everything within its power to ensure that the members of the special forces, and the members of the Australian Defence Force in the broad, are paid and remunerated properly. Secondly, as the minister has correctly said, none of those members of the special forces would suffer any level of financial disadvantage whatsoever. Thirdly, the government therefore has absolute confidence in the minister’s handling of this matter. It is being done the right way, with the Chief of Army in control. It will take time to fix, but fix it we will.