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SENATOR STEPHEN CONROY
DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
THE HON DAVID FEENEY MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
MEMBER FOR BATMAN
MEDIA RELEASE
The Prime Minister has today stepped in to shield his Defence Minister from answering questions about the Government’s broken promise on submarines.
In Question Time, when the Defence Minister was asked about Australia’s Future Submarine Project, Mr Abbott interrupted proceedings to answer on his behalf.
In a bizarre answer by a flailing Prime Minister, Mr Abbott declared:
“Members opposite put the defence of our country at risk by promising submarines built in Australia”Tony Abbott, Question Time, 12 February 2015
But before the election, the Coalition’s then Shadow Defence Minister stood out the front of the Australian Submarine Corporation and said:
“We will deliver those submarines from right here at ASC in South Australia. The Coalition today is committed to building 12 new submarines here in Adelaide.”David Johnston, Press Conference, 08 May 2013
The Prime Minister is now so desperate that he’s pretending that the promise he made before the election never happened.
The Defence Minister, when he was allowed to answer a question, refused to say if his office or department had prepared documents to announce that Japan would build our new submarines.
It is time Mr Abbott came clean on his plans for the Future Submarine Project and gave a clear answer on what he’s promised Japan.
Labor announced in November last year that there should be a proper competitive tender process for our new submarine fleet, with a funded project definition study.
This vital national security project is too important to become the plaything of a failing Prime Minister.