Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Back for his supplementary. I referred to the external cost assurance process through the integrated investment program that was released with the white paper last week. That was a very important initiative in terms of ensuring that we are able to achieve and afford the defence white paper and its capability acquisition plan. We will also—as I indicated both in my ministerial statement and earlier—meet the government's commitment to grow the defence budget to two per cent of GDP within the decade after our election. We are going to be able to provide defence and defence industry with the funding certainty that they need to deliver the long-term capability requirements that the ADF needs. That will include our high technology intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities that will give our forces much greater awareness, literally, of what is happening around them. We are also investing in Australia's Defence Force to ensure that it is operating effectively in the more challenging strategic environment I referred to earlier. (Time expired)