Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, I suggest you're not doing a very good job, given that cost blowout. Your own 2016 Defence White Paper also did not identify an escalation in our region in the overall threat level to Australia. Today, the media have written up the announcement as Australia joining the drone wars. Minister, shouldn't we be looking to de-escalate tensions in our region, rather than fuelling a regional arms race that is only likely to increase tensions and the likelihood of conflict in our region?