Senator JOHNSTON (Western Australia—Minister for Defence) (14:54): The new Australian Defence Force pay arrangements in no way reflect the value that the government places on ADF personnel and the vital and good work that they do. The pay decision is entirely the product of the economic legacy that has been bequeathed to us by the most profligate and incompetent government in our history. We are desperate to do the right thing in terms of national security— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Pause the clock. Ministers and leader—order! Senator JOHNSTON: We are desperate to do the right thing by our country in terms of national security and by our Defence Force members. But we must find $1 billion every month to pay the interest on the borrowings that were left to us by the previous government. It is simply not feasible for us to borrow even more for higher wages for directly employed Commonwealth public servants or Defence personnel. No responsible government would do that. We are a responsible government. That is the sort of thing that they did. Labor turned more than $50 billion in the bank into a projected net debt well over $200 billion—the fastest deterioration in our debt position in dollar terms as a share of GDP in Australia's modern history. When you are in a situation of a $50 billion deficit you cannot be as generous as you would want to be. This is the reality. Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Pause the clock. Order! Senator Cameron interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Cameron! Senator JOHNSTON: Obviously the senator does not know that Labor approved two years in a row of below-inflation wage increases to ADF personnel. (Time expired)