Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Cormann, representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. Victoria has a brilliant track record of military vehicle engineering and manufacturing. The Bushmaster, used so extensively in the Afghanistan war, is a classic example. That's why Victoria should be the obvious choice to get the Defence department contracts for the Land 400, to be built by BAE Systems at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne. It's one of the largest R&D clusters in the world, with access to leading universities and testing and evaluation facilities, as well as the Defence Science and Technology Group. Will the minister confirm that the tender competition is now a fight—