Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer the minister to comments by Mr Russell Stranger, his senior adviser of more than a decade. Mr Stranger said:

Senator Johnston has been relegated by the Prime Minister's office to a role as an incidental minister

Is Mr Stranger correct? If not, why not?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know what I do on that day to day basis in this portfolio. If that is incidental, that might be something someone wants to call it, but I am firstly dealing with repairing the budgetary mess you left. This is a very big task. I know the senator would not want to hear that, as I have said, the former Chief of Army said that funding cuts under Labor would risk soldiers' lives. Former Chief of Army Peter Leahy said:

The Gillard government has cut so much money out of defence that it risks placing the lives of soldiers, sailors and airmen in danger.

These are the sorts of things I am dealing with today. He went on to say, talking about Minister Smith:

The minister owes them more than a simple statement of 'do the same but with less'.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Cameron.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order as to relevance. The question was clear. It was about whether this minister was an incidental minister or whether he was actually doing his job. He is not responding to that.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my both sides! In relation to the point of order, Senator Cameron, the minister up front, in response to Senator Conroy's question, indicated that, if that is incidental then so be it. He has answered the question and now is continuing with his answer. Minister, you are directly relevant.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. What I am dealing with is a complete failure to resource adequately the Australian Defence Force and the Defence portfolio. Peter Leahy, very good Chief of Army as he was, said:

The Minister owes them more than simply a statement of ‘do the same with less’. They will be wondering how they will achieve these tasks when the Minister has, over the last few years, ripped huge sums of money out of the budget. The planners might even wonder why they are even drafting a new White Paper.”

That is what you left me to repair.

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, you have asked your question.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The now Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove said:

I do worry that we are developing some gaps in our defence structure that will be very tough to claw back later on.

That is what I am doing—trying to claw back your mess. (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer again to Mr Stranger, your senior adviser of more than a decade, who says that the minister's colleagues consider him a loose cannon and a nonperformer. Is this correct and, if not, why not?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the senator I do not believe it is correct and it is not for me to judge.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will we be seeing the Minister for Defence on the Senate front bench next year or does he agree with his junior minister who the Australian Finance Review reports today was overheard telling his Liberal colleagues that the—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Heffernan on a point of order.

Bill Heffernan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Stephen Conroy is not a boofhead.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is no point of order and, Senator Heffernan, that is an abuse of taking a point of order.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Or does he agree with his junior minister who the Financial Review reports today was overheard telling his Liberal colleagues that the defence minister was a gonna from cabinet?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you can answer the portions of that question which fit within your portfolio.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The mess bequeathed to me obviously has its foundation in the sort of attitude that Senator Conroy brings into this chamber. Here we have Australians on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have huge defence capability acquisition programs and all he can do is seek to ask a question from a couple of lines in a newspapers. I have to tell you that what they bequeathed to us is clearly understandable given the intellectual rigor brought to this question time by the senator.