Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, Procurement and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin in his capacity representing the Prime Minister. Does the minister recall the Prime Minister’s announcement on 19 December 2002 that the government would accelerate the project to acquire additional troop-lift helicopters? Wasn’t this commitment the centrepiece of the Prime Minister’s response to the Bali bombings in 2002? Is the minister aware that as a result of that announcement the helicopters were supposed to be fast-tracked and delivered by the end of this year? Can the minister confirm advice from Defence that makes it clear that the new helicopters will not be delivered until October 2009? Accordingly, hasn’t the government failed to deliver a key antiterrorism capability that the Prime Minister said was essential for Australia’s national security?

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am normally well briefed on these things, as Senator Bishop obviously knows, but on this occasion I do not have a full supply of every Defence contract with me. It is a great failing on my part and I regret that I do not have a file or brief on the additional troop-lift helicopters that were referred to, I gather—and I accept, as Senator Bishop says it—in 2002. I will endeavour to get the information to Senator Bishop as quickly as I can.