Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Minister for Finance) (14:42): Minister Abetz is exactly right. The position of the government has not changed and we remain committed— Senator Wong interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Wong! Senator CORMANN: The government, as we always have been, are committed to purchasing the best possible submarines at the best possible price to maximise on the national security benefit for Australia. In doing so, we have always said that we would pursue defence policy outcomes in the first instance and that we would be seeking to achieve value for money. What the Prime Minister has explained to colleagues, and what has been made public in recent days, is that we are committed in that context to go through a proper process which includes a competitive evaluation process. That is all that has been said. Now, this is— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order on my left! Senator CORMANN: So, to the question by Senator Conroy on whether I am aware of government policy, of course I am aware of government policy. I have been involved in government processes every step of the way, and right now no decision has been made in relation to the procurement of submarines. We are committed to ensuring that we get the possible defence outcomes, the best possible national security outcomes, in the national interest. We are going through a proper process, and, as the Prime Minister indicated in an interview yesterday with Chris Uhlmann, we are committed to a competitive evaluation of the various options on the table.