Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Senator, it is the case that there have, in the past, been procurement challenges. I don't agree with everything you've said, but they have been identified in a range of reports. Defence procurement is obviously a very complex process. I would say that what we are seeking to do is to try and ensure, particularly with AUKUS and the establishment of the Australian Submarine Agency, that there is a dedicated entity that is focused single-mindedly on this enterprise. In your first supplementary question, you correctly identified that the AUKUS undertaking is probably the largest procurement that a government has entered into. It is critical we get it right and that we learn from the mistakes that were made in the past so that they are not repeated. Certainly, the government is very focused on working to ensure that occurs. (Time expired)