Senator CONROY (Victoria—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (10:07): In an extraordinary circumstance yesterday afternoon, the Prime Minister of Australia issued a statement which cut the Minister for Defence loose. What was the one thing missing in the Prime Minister's statement? He cleaned up the mess. He said he had confidence in the workforce at the ASC to do their duty and keep our men and women submariners safe. He said that. The one thing that was missing was any expression of support for the Minister for Defence. What happened yesterday afternoon? The Prime Minister cleaned up for Senator Johnston. Senator Johnston had five hours to come into the chamber to back up his Prime Minister and was missing for five hours. So the Prime Minister knew what a mess the minister had made, but the Minister for Defence did not turn up. All Senator Abetz had to do was stand up and say, 'I have full confidence in the Minister for Defence and I guarantee he will be sitting behind me, right in that seat, in February next year, when parliament reconvenes.' That is all Senator Abetz had to do—none of the above happened. I will tell you what else is missing in this chamber right now: any South Australian Liberal senator but Senator Bernardi, who has to chair proceedings. Where has Senator Birmingham gone? Where has Senator Ruston gone? Where has Senator Edwards gone? Not one of them is in the chamber to support Senator Johnston. They have all run from the chamber—because they are in the papers this morning absolutely pillorying him. The Prime Minister yesterday walked away from him. All of the Liberal senators who attacked him in the newspapers have walked out of the chamber right now because they have also cut him loose. They have no confidence in the Minister for Defence following his continual outbursts. And there is some very interesting information that has come to light in the newspapers this morning, because this minister has been a serial offender when it comes to abusing and denigrating the workers, the workforce and the company of the ASC. What do we discover in this morning's papers? A senior Liberal said that Senator Johnston's comments were 'breathtaking', coming just a fortnight after he apologised to ASC chairman Bruce Carter for being critical of the agency's work. The West Australian understands that Senator Johnston told Mr Carter over dinner in Adelaide that he would refrain from criticising the ASC in the future. So, just two weeks ago he promised to stop doing it. And then last week he went on radio and attacked the acting chief executive, saying that he did not know anything about building subs. Unfortunately, he had spent 25 years building and maintaining subs. So, last week he broke his promise to Mr Carter. Then, yesterday, he got up and broke his promise to Mr Carter again. Why is all of this happening? Because a lie was told before the last election. Senator Johnston stood up and promised the people of Australia, the people of Adelaide, and the workforce of the ASC, and he did it cynically in front of them. He stood in front of the gates of the ASC and committed—he promised on behalf of Tony Abbott—that he would build 12 submarines in Adelaide, right there at the ASC. So, all we have been seeing for the past 12 months is a denigration—a serial offender denigrating the people who keep our subs in the water, the people who have lifted the productivity at the ASC substantially, since the Cole report, commissioned by our government, because in the 11½ years that they were in government they allowed the maintenance program to completely fall away. When they were in government the maintenance program was a disgrace. We came to government and commissioned a report, and the productivity started to go up. And now, as the senator wants to try to hide behind, they are now at an excellent level. Honourable senators interjecting— Senator CONROY: But that does not stop him denigrating and attacking the workforce in Adelaide. He is a serial offender. This minister knows that he has broken the promise he made before the election. This minister knows that he is going to— Senator Ian Macdonald: Mr Acting Deputy President, a point of order: I am trying to listen to Senator Conroy, and even with him shouting, I cannot hear above the Leader of the Opposition, with her constant interjections. Could you bring her to order? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Bernardi ): Senator Wong— Senator Wong: I would be very happy to stop if Senator Reynolds, who is not in her seat, would also stop interjecting. I was responding to her. Honourable senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! I will not give Senator Conroy the call until the Senate is brought to order. Senator Macdonald, Senator McGrath— Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Macdonald, desist. You are not being helpful. And Senator Polley. None of you are helping your own cause here, and you are doing a disservice to the Senate. Senator CONROY: She's reflecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, thank you; I do not need your assistance. Senator Wong interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: And Senator Wong, I do not need your help either. Senator Conroy, you have the call. Senator CONROY: As I was saying, why is Senator Johnston such a serial offender when it comes to attacking the ASC, even though he promised just two weeks ago not to do it? He promised the chair he would not do it. He is a serial offender because the lie is being exposed. Mr Abbott, not content with breaking all the other promises he made, is now breaking the promise to build the submarines, because he knows that he has already made a promise to the Prime Minister of Japan. We know this because the government keep backgrounding journalists about it. The government has backgrounded that President Obama, Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Abbott had a meeting just a few weeks ago in Myanmar and agreed that the Americans' weapons system would go into the Japanese submarines being built for Australia. Then, last week, the Prime Minister, Mr Abbott, told the President of France that the Japanese would be building the subs. In other words: 'Don't bother putting the French bid in.' That is why Senator Johnston is lashing out all the time at the ASC. That is why he is denigrating the workforce. That is why he is ignoring bids from Germany, from Sweden and from France—because he has got to try and cover the fact that the lie that was told before the election is going to be broken. What we saw yesterday was an absolutely outrageous attack that he had promised not to make. But it is worse than just, 'Oh, I gave a colourful flourish.' The Minister for Defence is undermining our national security. You cannot attack the workers who keep our subs and our submariners safe, who do the work— Honourable senators interjecting— Senator CONROY: The Prime Minister understood. The Prime Minister cut him loose last night and defended the workers. The Prime Minister understood what Senator Johnston did. He put out a statement defending the workers at the ASC. He cut that minister loose last night. This minister, the Minister for Defence for Australia, undermined our national security. He undermined the confidence. He went out there on the floor of the Senate and he basically said: 'Our subs aren't up to scratch. Don't you worry, anybody overseas. Our subs are hopeless.' He undermined our national security. The Prime Minister cut him loose. He knew what he had done. The Prime Minister put a statement out, and, as I said, the one sentence in it missing was: 'I have confidence in Senator Johnston.' That is the one sentence missing. This is what the Prime Minister said: 'The Australian Submarine Corporation plays a vital role in supporting the Royal Australian Navy and our key naval capabilities.' That is what the Prime Minister said. He knew he had to put out a statement supporting the workforce and the work that they do to keep our submariners safe—but not the irresponsible minister over there, because he undermined the vital role that is played by those workers. He undermined them, and he has been doing it for months and months. And he is doing it to cover up the political pain that he is in, because he knows that the lie that was told before the election is going to be exposed again and again and again. So last night's statement was clearly a statement of no confidence in this minister. Oh, Senator Birmingham has been dragged back by the whip! Welcome back, Senator Birmingham. I am looking forward to you speaking in a second. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Bernardi ): Order! Address your comments through the chair, Senator Conroy. Senator CONROY: The whips office have been on the phone: 'Will you get those South Australian Libs back into the chamber? It's really embarrassing.' Senator Ian Macdonald: You are quite mad! Senator CONROY: Coming from you, Senator Macdonald! The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Ignore the interjections, Senator Conroy. Senator CONROY: It is not just the Prime Minister who has got no confidence in Senator Johnston. What did we see in this morning's papers? His colleagues have condemned him. One senior Liberal called the defence minister's remarks 'some of the most stupid words I have ever heard from a senior minister'. Off the record, was that you, Senator Birmingham? Another called them 'breathtaking'. Assistant infrastructure minister, Jamie Briggs, said his comments were wrong. Liberal senator Simon Birmingham, whom the whips have dragged back into the chamber, said, 'There is no excuse for denigration of the workforce or of the extensive capabilities that South Australia has.' Honourable senators interjecting— Senator CONROY: Sean is back. Give the whip a bonus. They are working overtime out there. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, you should refer to other senators by their title. Senator CONROY: Senator Edwards, come on down. Did they tell you he had to come in and give him a kiss. Come on, go back to your seat. The defence minister's role is to ensure our national security. He should stop and listen to Senator Birmingham and not undermine the integrity of our national security, because, as Senator Birmingham has also acknowledged, that is what happened yesterday. Let's be clear. In the Senate last night the defence minister should have made a full statement of apology to the parliament and to the ASC. What was he doing for five hours yesterday and for the three hours after the Prime Minister cut him loose last night. The Prime Minister cannot possibly have full confidence in the defence minister following that statement. We know people sitting behind him right now do not have. We know that unnamed others in this place do not have confidence in him. The Prime Minister needs to carefully consider whether keeping the defence minister in his role is in the national interest, because he clearly has no confidence in the job he is doing. He has been dragged in here this morning kicking and screaming. He should have been in here last night. He is trying to pass it off as just a joke, or, as Senator Abetz said, 'overstating'. Well, Senator Abetz certainly did not overstate his defence of the minister. He did not say, 'I know Senator Johnston is going to be sitting there in February.' He missed the opportunity to say that, but on radio this morning Senator Johnston showed absolutely no remorse. So he has already been out for a test drive and he showed no remorse this morning for his absolutely disgraceful remarks. It is not a 'rhetorical flourish' for the defence minister to denigrate the workers who keep our submarines maintained and in the water. It is not a 'rhetorical flourish' to attack the workers who keep Royal Australian Navy sailors safe. The Prime Minister knew it. Senator Birmingham knew it. For this irresponsible minister to cover up his political embarrassment and political pain—he is prepared to do it. I wonder if the defence minister was listening yesterday to the ASC worker who said: There is no way that we would put at risk our sailors—Australian sailors. There is no way we will be giving them second-class work, shoddy jobs or anything like that. We give them the best. That was a heartfelt response to Senator Johnston's denigration and his continual denigration. This is a minister who is so desperate to break his promise that he is prepared to denigrate anyone, whether they are submarine experts, or whether they are former naval officers who actually know something about the submarine sector. Honourable senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Conroy, please resume your seat. Senators, every senator in this place is entitled to be heard in silence. We do not need to have discussions shouted across the chamber. Interjections are permitted, particularly if they are witty, but you do not need to yell them. Senator Edwards and Senator Back, we do not need to have shouted discussions across the chamber. Honourable senators interjecting— Senator CONROY: Witty is okay! The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, you are not helping things. Honourable senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator O'Sullivan. Senator Conroy, you have the call. Senator CONROY: Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy President. Senator Johnston attacks the workforce. One of the other things that the worker from the ASC said yesterday in his press conference was that he would have to go home last night feeling pretty gutted and say to his family that the minister thinks he is worthless for the job that he is doing. That is what he said last night. This minister is a serial offender. As we know, this is a minister who does not have the confidence of the Prime Minister's office. He does not have the confidence of the Prime Minister. He does not have the confidence of senators sitting over there, who have repudiated him this morning. And all of this is demonstrated by the fact that, when the minister proposed a team that he wanted to work up the white paper, the Prime Minister's office intervened and said: 'You're not having them. Here's who's going to prepare the white paper.' We know that the Prime Minister's office has sidelined the minister when it comes to the submarine contract and the tender process. It is not Minister Johnston's personal staff who are flying to Japan to meet with the Japanese government, to meet with the Japanese ministers, to talk about Japanese submarines; it is the defence adviser in the Prime Minister's office. Everybody in this chamber knows what is going on. Senator O'Sullivan: So what? Senator CONROY: So what? You haven't got a clue. You are so green, you— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Address your comments to the chair, Senator Conroy. Senator O'Sullivan interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator O'Sullivan! Senator CONROY: So what? I will tell you what. If Senator Brandis found out that the PM was sending his staff around doing his job for him, Senator Brandis would have something to say about it. Senator O'Sullivan interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator O'Sullivan, you are not being helpful. Senator CONROY: Let me be clear about this. You are so green behind the ears that you do not even understand what a complete repudiation that is. You will be here for a few more months and you will pick it up as you go. Don't you worry, Senator O'Sullivan; you'll pick it up as you go! Let us be very clear: the Prime Minister's office— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Resume your seat, Senator Conroy. Senator CONROY: I addressed him by the correct name. Senator Ian Macdonald: Mr Acting Deputy President, on a point of order: could you advise the Deputy Leader of the Opposition—you would think he would know this without being called to order—that he should address his remarks through you and not direct to Senator O'Sullivan. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Macdonald— Senator Wong interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: It is not necessary, Senator Wong. An honourable senator interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Yes, I will address that. You are quite right, Senator Macdonald, and I have reminded Senator Conroy and other senators that their remarks should be addressed to the chair. It is not helpful, though, when comments are directed to the speaker which they feel tempted to respond to, and there are some on my right who have very penetrating voices that are not helpful. So I would ask you not to goad the shadow minister. Senator CONROY: There is certainly a loud voice echoing, mainly inside his own skull, but let us be clear— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, you are not being helpful. Senator CONROY: I understand why Senator Macdonald needs to help out his new colleague from Queensland. I understand that. Every other person— Senator Heffernan: Mr Acting Deputy President, I raise a point of order. Is there any need to shout? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Heffernan. You can— Senator Heffernan: Senator Faulkner makes the point that by lowering the tone and making people— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Heffernan, resume your seat. Senator Conroy interjecting— Senator Heffernan: You're a boofhead! The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Heffernan, I will ask you to withdraw that last remark. Senator Heffernan: Conroy, you're not a boofhead. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: No, Senator Heffernan, I will ask you to withdraw it. Withdraw. Senator Heffernan: I withdraw that you're a boofhead. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Heffernan, withdraw it unconditionally. Senator Heffernan: I have withdrawn it unconditionally. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you. Senator CONROY: Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy President. Everybody else in this chamber knows that, when the PM starts sending his adviser on trips overseas requiring special permission, the Prime Minister's office and the Prime Minister have no confidence in the minister. To totally bypass the minister clearly demonstrates the Prime Minister and his office's views of the minister. What we have seen is every expert on submarines in the country, notwithstanding the allegations from the minister that they are on someone's payroll or they have been gone too long and they do not really know what they are talking about—every single expert says the same thing. There is only one solution to the bias being shown by this minister. There is only one solution to the bias being shown by the Prime Minister in trying to give away this contract to the Japanese government, and that is to hold a proper competitive tender for this procurement. There is no more vital or lethal asset in Australia's defence than this next generation of submarines. For an island nation these submarines are our most lethal asset, and we should not take shortcuts for political expediency because the Prime Minister has had a rush of blood to the head—the same sort of rush of blood to his head as he wanted nuclear subs. You did a good job fending him off on that, Senator Johnston—well done. But on this one, as you know, he is running the submarine tender program from his office. There is no more lethal asset than these submarines, and we must get it right. We must get value for Australian taxpayers. We must hold a proper tender. Senator Edwards agrees, Senator Birmingham agrees, Senator Ruston agrees, the South Australian Liberal senators agree that we have got to have a competitive tender; they understand that, and that is why this minister is so, so shamed today. (Time expired)