$50 BILLION SUBS PURCHASE NEEDS MORE ATTENTION THAN MEDIA RELEASES

The Minister for Defence Industry needs to urgently move his attention from his media profile and put it where it belongs: the $50 billion submarine purchase.

 

Today’s revelations in Fairfax raise serious concerns about whether the Minister pays any attention to the program once the media announcements are finished.

 

With Defence itself raising concerns about nepotism, financial oversight and labour hire workers being hidden as service providers, it’s time the Minister stopped reading his clips and started reading up on the program.

 

These concerns should not be news to the Minister. Former Defence Secretary Dennis Richardson raised concerns about the mis-use of contractors over a year ago. What, if anything, has the Minister done to fix this problem?

 

The Minister needs to stand up and explain to the Australian people how he is making sure the biggest procurement in Australian history is being properly managed.

 

With the negotiations to settle the Strategic Partnership Agreement running six months behind schedule, and the whole program running the risk of grinding to a halt when the design contract runs out in September, the Minister needs to attend to his day job, not just his media job.