David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I did seek to sit down with the chair of the Australian Submarine Corporation and discuss issues with him. I do not believe that I apologised to him, but I did say there were problems that together we needed to address. I sought to engage him in a proper way as to the future with an eye to delivering a further eight future frigates to Adelaide. I took the time and trouble to sit down with him and implore him to assist us in the remediation of the current air warfare destroyer build because I really wanted to build eight future frigates in Adelaide. That was the discussion that I had with him.

I do not recall apologising to him. I would be interested in hearing his version of events, but the fact is that I sought his cooperation in partnership. I am the customer and he was the supplier. I said, 'There is an enormous amount of upside if we can get this right,' and that was my intent and that is my recollection of the discussion.