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

Forgacs also built the HMAS Tobruk,at 5,791 tonnes. Their submission says that 'with appropriate site development' they could have, at their graving dock, built a 27,000-tonne vessel—four times larger, 'with appropriate site development' of several billion dollars. What we inherited with respect to the air warfare destroyer was a failed third attempt to remediate the program. Hundreds of millions of dollars over budget, it was two years late. With an international benchmark of 60 man-hours per tonne, we set the benchmark at 80 man-hours per tonne—and what were they doing? One hundred and fifty man-hours per tonne. Some of these blocks had to be reworked up to four times.

I owe it, we owe it, to the taxpayer to get this right. There are eight ships for Adelaide if we can get this right. So, instead of bleating, get onto your mates up there and tell them to lift their productivity. It is that simple.