David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Bob Carr. I refer the minister to the comments he made in the Senate on 17 September:

… by deferring Defence acquisitions and adjusting the Defence capital equipment program … There will be no adverse impact on operations—they are all fully funded. There will be no adverse impact on military numbers in the navy, army or air force. There will be no adverse important implications for kit for forces about to be deployed or in deployment. There will be no reductions in conditions or entitlements for servers—

Given that, following the minister's comments, jungle training exercises for the SAS and commandos have been scrapped and training days for the Holsworthy based 2 Commando Regiment have been slashed, how can the minister stand by his statement?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is proud that projects to be progressed in 2012-13 adding to this country's defence capability include the replacement of Caribou transport aircraft, consideration of the Growler airborne electronic attack capability, the acquisition of medium and heavy trucks, upgrades—

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. I asked specifically about training exercises for the SAS.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: that summary of the question, which we all found very difficult to keep up with, I think is very unrealistic. Given that the minister has been on his feet for about 15 seconds I think the point of order is not relevant.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has been addressing the question for 16 seconds. I will listen closely to the answer of the minister. At this stage there is no point of order. Minister, you have one minute 44 remaining.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I repeat—upgrades to Orion maritime patrol aircraft, C130J aircraft and Anzac class ships. I repeat that there is also a planned reduction of 1,000 civilian positions in the defence department and they will be achieved primarily through natural attrition and tightening of recruitment practices. Most savings are coming from deferring some defence acquisitions and adjusting the defence capital equipment program but also from delivering further operating efficiencies. None of the savings will impede our nation's defences. The government has made its choices very carefully. There will be no adverse impact on operations at fully funded. There will be no adverse impact on military numbers: Navy, Army, Air Force. There will be no adverse implications for kit for forces about to be deployed or on deployment—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tell us about what you were asked.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All this has been said before—and no reductions in conditions or entitlements for service personnel. The focus of the budget's capability activities will be on improving airlift, land mobility, submarines, afloat support, communications, interoperability and electronic and cyber warfare. A number of projects will also be progressed to enhance the availability and capability of the current Collins class submarines. The government has also approved $214 million for further detailed studies and analysis to inform the government's decision on the design of Australia's next submarines. (Time expired)

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. I refer the minister to comments of former Army chief Professor Peter Leahy, who said that he was concerned at the impact of budget cuts across a range of defence areas including special forces training, warning it would impact on morale and readiness in the future. In light of Professor Leahy's statement, will the minister categorically rule out further budgetary vandalism to the Defence Force budget in MYEFO?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Defence's contribution to the government's fiscal strategy will have no adverse impact on the operations that should concern us all in this house without trying to extract party political advantage from them—that is, operations in Afghanistan, East Timor or the Solomon Islands. There are a range of administrative and minor capital equipment savings that are going to be made and a number of lower priority capability projects that will be deferred, with a small number cancelled where they have been superseded by alternative capabilities, and other capability and facility programs will be subjected to rescoping. The reprioritisation of defence expenditure has been designed to have minimum impact on the delivery of core defence capabilities. The provision of equipment to defence personnel on operations will not be adversely affected and there will be no adverse impact on the number of military personnel in the Australian Defence Force. The decisions taken to determine Defence's contribution— (Time expired)

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a further supplementary question. With highly respected commentators like the Australian Strategic Policy Institute describing the funding of defence as an unsustainable mess, when will the government admit that its trashing of the Australian defence budget is impacting on morale and capability and compromising our national security?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator has presented no evidence for any of those three propositions.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's an unsustainable mess.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where is his evidence? Where is his evidence for an adverse effect on morale? He has presented no evidence for these allegations—none at all.

Senator Johnston interjecting—

No, let me remind you what you said. You said morale in the armed forces has collapsed. You are wrong and you have presented no evidence of that—no evidence at all. Put your evidence on the table; present it in the Senate.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

An unsustainable mess!

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is just a facile allegation, not supported by any data. It is a matter of public record that next year defence spending as a share of GDP— (Time expired)