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

I am not going to make any comment on matters of drafting that may or may not have been the subject of advice. Let me repeat that both the Secretary of the Department of Defence and the Chief of Defence Force have advised that their consistent advice to government since 2013 has been that it was highly unlikely that the first of the future submarines could be delivered by 2026 and that an extension of life of the Collins class submarine would almost certainly be required. The government's 2016Defence white paper reflects that advice accurately.