Original sentence: On May 3, 2007 the Australian Government signed a contract to acquire 24 F/A-18Fs for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), at a cost of A$2.9 billion, as an interim replacement for the aging F-111s
Edited sentence: On May 3, 2007 the Australian Government, following advice from Boeing employee and former Liberal Party leader Andrew Peacock, signed a contract to acquire 24 F/A-18Fs for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), at a cost of A$2.9 billion, as an interim replacement for the aging F-111s