Joel Fitzgibbon - Shadow Minister for Defence
TV Interview Sky News
17th March 2007
Journalist: Mr Fitzgibbon thank you for your time. In what way do you feel our air defence has been compromised?
Fitzgibbon: Well the Howard Government’s air defence plan is now in tatters following this latest in a long run of cost blow outs and it raises new questions about our on-going ability to defend ourselves and of course means that the taxpayer is now facing huge and unnecessary costs.
Journalist: Well cost blow-outs in defence are not unusual of course the same thing happened with the Collins submarine which of course was implemented under a Labor government, why is it that these projects invariably get out of control.
Fitzgibbon: They are difficult but they’re best avoided by proper planning and going through the usual processes. The reality is that the Government rushed in to this deal on the Joint Strike Fighter without putting in place any contingencies, without taking in to account possible delays and cost blow-outs. So as a result we’ve got this emerging air capability gap, a weakness in our air defences, particularly to our north and the Government moved just last week with a $6 billion purchase of 24 Super Hornets to fill that gap, but most experts of course are claiming that those Super Hornets simply aren’t up to the job.
Journalist: Well as you say, there is a delay of possibly two years before the Joint Strike Fighter is finished, but as you say they’ve implemented the Super Hornet project which will cover the gap in the meantime, why is that a particular problem?
Fitzgibbon: Because the experts don’t believe it will fill the gap. The Super Hornet is a fourth generation aircraft, not up to matching it with many of the fifth generation aircraft now numerous in the Asia-Pacific region. So what the Government needs to do now is take a big pause, review its air capability plan, go back to the drawing board. One thing we need to do is press the US Administration for access to the so-called Raptor, the most lethal fighting jet in the world, to ensure that we have it in as part of our consideration mix.
Journalist: You’re looking at introducing the Raptor as a stop-gap measure?
Fitzgibbon: No, we believe the Raptor should be part of the mix of consideration. We think the Government needs to go back to the drawing board, think about the new cost of the JSF and whether it’s still the most appropriate aircraft. It may be, but we believe a review is necessary, and of course think more about whether the Hornet delivers the best cost efficiency for the taxpayer and of course, look at many other aircraft including the F-15 which may be a more appropriate aircraft with which to fill any emerging gap.
Journalist: Will there not be a significant cost increase in looking at these alternate planes?
Fitzgibbon: Well these things are always, of course, more cost efficient if proper processes and planning are undertaken before these decisions are made. That wasn’t the case with the original Joint Strike Fighter purchase and it certainly wasn’t the case with respect to the Super Hornet purchase. So we believe it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Our air superiority to our north is the key to the defence of our nation and we can’t afford to get this wrong.
Journalists: Alright Mr Fitzgibbon, thank you for your time this afternoon.
Fitzgibbon: Always a pleasure.