Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister for Arts and Attorney-General) (14:58): The government is very disappointed that BAE has made a commercial decision directly as a result of six years of inaction by Senator Kim Carr and his colleagues. For six years, absolutely nothing was done by the Labor government for Australian military shipbuilding—nothing. As a result, lines of supply faltered. As a result, commercial decisions were delayed. Senator Conroy: You have been in charge for two years. Senator BRANDIS: And I hear Senator Stephen Conroy, comically the shadow minister for defence, braying that for two years this government has been in— Senator Conroy: You have been in charge and ignored our plans. We had plans on the table. Senator BRANDIS: Senator Conroy, the lead times for major infrastructure projects and major shipbuilding contracts are longer than two years. The fact is that, when the Labor Party was in office for six years, not one Australian warship was commenced at an Australian shipyard—not one. When the Labor Party was in power for six years, not one thing was done to progress the Future Submarine program. In fact, the only ship acquisition for which the former Labor government was responsible was the purchase from the Royal Navy of a second-hand warship, the Choules. So do not come into this chamber—you, of all people, Senator Kim Carr, who was minister for industry at various times during that unlamented Labor government—and complain that a commercial decision has now been made by BAE as a result of being left high and dry for six years on your watch.