Senate debates Questions on Notice

Defence: Program Funding (Question No. 1382)


David Johnston

David Johnston WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 3 November 2011:

With reference to the answer to question on notice no. 506 (Senate Hansard, 12 September 2011, p. 5822), and specifically the answer to paragraph (2) which states that '$146.1 billion to fund the White Paper over the 21 years to 2029-30', was in the 2009-10 Budget:

(1) Where exactly in the 2009-10 Budget papers does it say that the Government provided the department with additional funding of $146.1 billion to fund the Defence White Paper.

(2) Can a table be provided that shows a year by year commitment from 2010-11 to 2029-30 to:

(a) fund the acquisitions outlined in the Defence White Paper; and

(b) increase in real growth funding, as a percentage, to fund the acquisitions outlined in the Defence White Paper.

Chris Evans

Chris Evans WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) In the Portfolio Resource Statement on page 15 of the Portfolio Budget Statements 2009-10 it is stated that the Government has provided Defence with additional funding of $146.1 billion to fully fund the White Paper over 21 years to 2029-30.

(2) (a) The additional $146.1 billion is the difference between in total funding provided between the previous funding model and the new funding model. The first 10 years of this funding (2009-10 to 2018-19) is shown on page 17 of the in the Portfolio Budget Statements 2009-10. (b) Information on the real growth that was applied as part of the new Defence funding model is shown on page 15 of the Portfolio Budget Statements 2009-10.