Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

That, of course, is a decision that is before government. I have already answered the question in relation to the costs of the project. What is remarkable is that on the one hand you have Labor, who presided over an historic reduction in Australia’s defence capabilities, a reduction in total Defence outlays from 9.4 per cent down to 8 per cent, and the greatest mismanagement of a Defence project in the history of the free world in the Collins class submarine project—one of the worst-managed projects—and on the other hand you have a government that has been steadfastly improving our Defence expenditure, improving our defence capability, improving the size and effectiveness of our Defence Force. And yet, when a process has gone through to develop an improvement for our air capabilities, the Labor Party have the audacity to criticise it. They should pull their heads in.