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

Thank you, Mr President. What I am dealing with is a complete failure to resource adequately the Australian Defence Force and the Defence portfolio. Peter Leahy, very good Chief of Army as he was, said:

The Minister owes them more than simply a statement of ‘do the same with less’. They will be wondering how they will achieve these tasks when the Minister has, over the last few years, ripped huge sums of money out of the budget. The planners might even wonder why they are even drafting a new White Paper.”

That is what you left me to repair.

Senator Conroy interjecting—