Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In November, in an interview with the Australian newspaper, the Prime Minister said he would spend whatever was necessary to produce the defence force that could defend Australia. But this week the Department of Defence confirmed in budget estimates that the government has cut $1.5 billion from the Australian Defence Force. Australia is in the most challenging strategic environment since the Second World War. Why is the Prime Minister breaking promises and making it harder for the ADF to keep our country safe?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[inaudible] be keen to have the opportunity to add to this answer. The fact is that what we have done is produce a defence strategic review aimed at what assets Australia needs to defend ourselves, where they should be placed, and actually delivering it. You can't defend your country with a press release, and what we saw from those opposite is a press release. Indeed, the member himself, who served as the Assistant Minister for Defence under the Leader of the Opposition—the new 'dream team' here, the new 1 and 2 dream team—said:

As the assistant defence minister, I saw a lot of waste. And there are always savings to be made. So we're not arguing that there should be no cuts. We just want to make sure that these are done in a considered way if they are done and we also want certainty. … funding AUKUS will require sacrifices …

That's what the former assistant minister for defence said, answering his own question—this is questions and answers from the one side today!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Canning on a point of order?

Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It goes to relevance. Bring him back to the question, which is: why is he breaking promises and making it harder for the Australian Defence Force to do its job?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has a preamble. I'm listening carefully to make sure he's referring to the estimates and other parts of the question, and I give him the call.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 31 October 2022 the member said this: 'Yes, we squandered a lot of opportunity through the leadership changes.' He went on to say: 'It created ministerial churn, which led to inertia institutionally, and I think it meant we delayed a lot of those decisions. It's been a criticism, and I think a valid one.' Hear, hear! But of course it was consistent with his leader, because he, the former defence minister, said, on 15 August last year: 'I wish that we could have acquired more capability within defence earlier.' If only he was in a position! If only he was in a position to do something—as the defence minister—to acquire more capability! Fair dinkum.

But the Nats haven't missed out, either, Mr Speaker, you'll be pleased to know. The Leader of the National Party said this, on13 March: 'I think Defence has to put their hand up and acknowledge that much of their procurement over many decades, across many different governments, has been ordinary at best'—ordinary at best! You've got to ask the question of why some of these people still have jobs, to be candid; indeed you do.

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Minister for Pacific Island Affairs will cease being disorderly.