Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question, which arises out of that response. Can the minister confirm that department of finance officials still participate in defence capability committees to help cost, evaluate and review major procurement decisions prior to their announcement? Given the rush decision, a lack of comprehensive project evaluation and non-adherence to the two-stage Kinnaird process, if the finance minister is now so far out of the loop on a project that will spend some $6 billion of public moneys, who is now protecting taxpayers’ financial interests?