iscover
The Albanese government is under fire from the Coalition, with shadow defence minister James Paterson accusing Labor of undermining transparency on major defence projects following an extraordinary intervention by the Auditor-General.
In a strongly worded statement, Senator Paterson said Defence Minister Richard Marles must immediately direct his department to resume full cooperation with the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) after it withheld key information required for the Defence Major Projects Report (MPR).
The long-running report has provided Parliament with detailed oversight of major capability acquisitions for 18 years. However, the ANAO has now warned its effectiveness has been significantly compromised after Defence refused to supply certain information, citing national security concerns.
Senator Paterson said the move marked a stark departure from past practice, noting that similar information had been routinely provided under previous governments, including the Coalition, and used by the then Labor opposition to scrutinise delays and cost overruns.
In a response to a Senate request, the Auditor-General said the reduced disclosure had materially weakened the report.
“As a result of Defence’s removal of information, transparency has diminished, as has the ANAO’s ability to provide meaningful analysis in the report,” the statement said.
The Auditor-General also questioned whether the report remains viable in its current form.
“In light of the growing non-disclosure of information, I have come to the conclusion that the MPR is no longer fit for purpose as the vehicle to bring the transparency and accountability that it has in the past.”
Senator Paterson argued the development comes at a time of heightened strategic risk, describing the current environment as the most dangerous since the Second World War.
He said Australians deserved greater visibility over how taxpayer funds are being spent on defence capability, warning the government was effectively keeping the public “in the dark” about delays in major projects.
The Coalition is now calling on Minister Marles to “end the cover-up” and restore full transparency by ensuring Defence provides the necessary information to the ANAO, enabling continued scrutiny by Parliament and its oversight committees.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Defence Connect a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Defence Connect as a preferred news source.
