Senator JOHNSTON (Western Australia—Minister for Defence) (14:06): I thank the honourable senator for his question and acknowledge his longstanding interest, and commitment as a former serving member of the ADF, to defence. This government has made a commitment to restore spending on Defence. First and foremost we have acknowledged the necessity to say that there will be no further cuts to Defence. This previous Labor government left Defence in an unsustainable mess. Honourable senators interjecting — The PRESIDENT: Senator Johnston, resume your seat. Order! When there is silence on both sides, we will proceed. Senator JOHNSTON: Financially wrecked and plundered. Once we have steadied this budgetary disaster, we will restore defence spending to two per cent of GDP within a decade. The PRESIDENT: I remind honourable senators on my left that, if you wish to debate the issue, the time is after three o'clock. When there is silence, I will give Senator Johnston the call. Senator JOHNSTON: Once we have steadied this budgetary disaster, steadied the ship, we will restore defence spending to two per cent of GDP within a decade. On 22 November this year, the shadow defence ministers, including Senator Conroy, released a statement saying that we had not yet shed any light on how the government plans to match Labor's commitment to increase defence spending to two per cent of GDP. Let me remind the Senate that this year they delivered a white paper, with chapter 7 entitled 'Defence budget and funding' and there were 1½ pages with not a single dollar figure mentioned, now or ever. This government is committed to achieving a two per cent of GDP target in a time frame, not just an airy-fairy, long-term splash of a political objective. (Time expired)