Mark RonHon RON MARK (Minister of Defence): Thank you Mr Speaker. Well my crikey! Isn't it interesting to hear members of Parliament coming back to the House and making their first speeches. How would I describe that speech by Tim Macindoe? Cry Me a River" is how I would describe that speech—"Cry Me a River". The speech opened up with "How great I am. I've done this done that done everything." It was all about himself—how wonderful. And then it moved on into that zone of grief—you know: "Unfair not fair we got more than you it's not fair."Well actually I've got a message for Mr Macindoe as he makes his way right? Be good in Government—be good in Government. Be competent. Don't be the disaster that unfortunately we are now finding that last Government to have been. What am I speaking of? I am speaking of the revelations the grenade that landed on my desk when I became the Minister of Defence.Brett Hudson: Your medals. You discovered you were wearing your medals incorrectly. That's right.Hon RON MARK: Well that member can't talk. He hasn't got any medals has he? So let's talk about 148 million medals 148 million of them a blow out on a project that that National Government had responsibility—[Interruption] Well actually this is how jolly lazy they were. They didn't even start this project. It was a Labour - New Zealand First Government that signed off on the business case for this project. What for? To upgrade one of our three top-tier assets in defence—our strategic assets: special forces P3 Orions Anzac frigates.These frigates—and those members have gone silent now because they know—had fallen behind. The systems on board were outdated. We knew that in 2008—in 2008. So we signed off. And then this Government takes the helm—or not it would appear. And then it has the responsibility and the privilege of seeing our men and women in the navy equipped with the finest equipment necessary (a) to protect themselves (b) to protect other people and (c) to be able to operate in a high-tech environment where the risks these days are massive.But where are we nine long years later? Well the vessels still haven't been upgraded. But worse the project that would have seen that process start was stalled. Why? This Government knew back in 2015 in 2016 and a few months prior to the election that they had a problem. What was the problem? Well actually the same problem that's plagued defence and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for years and which unfortunately I've been banging on about for 16-odd years in Parliament—poor project management.But who was the Government that took over and was going to fix all that? National. What did they do? Nothing. In 2014 they finally started to accept recommendations that had been in reports time and time again saying that the MOD is understaffed under-resourced and doesn't have the capacity to manage these multibillion-dollar projects. But oh no no no. They sat there and did nothing.Mr Brownlee wanted to stand up in the House today in question time or yell across the House and justify his inaction. He says "Oh we rolled over too soon. We could have delayed. We could have held out longer." What? Mr Brownlee bought all of the systems that are sitting on shelves in warehouses right now with the warranty clock ticking down to zero. Is he seriously suggesting—that's the mark isn't it? It's becoming the hallmark of this "John Cleese" Government isn't it really? Just total incompetence and buffoonery.So what? Is he suggesting that we go into another tender process another due diligence process and take as long as they did—another nine years—while all of these systems sit on the shelves? The warranties expire and they become out of date again. Well that sounds just like the National Party.You know it is one thing to come into Government with hope and desire to serve the New Zealand public and the citizens of this country as best as you can in the areas of defence and foreign policy. But by crikey I've got to say it doesn't help us when all we are finding all over the place is fiscal holes and promises made without the money budgeted and decisions that haven't been made and the consequence of that is that now we are behind. So what? Do we sail these frigates into these areas where they are of questionable value where there are questionable risks? That's clearly a decision that the National Government of the past decided to go with.If I was sitting on those benches I'd feel ashamed. I'd feel ashamed of their inaction ashamed that they didn't take the advice in front of them and ashamed that they didn't do what we have just done—signed off allocated the money signed the contract and got the project under way."