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Australian defence minister David Johnston
Opponents called for the resignation of defence minister David Johnston after he criticised submarine builders ASC. Photograph: Mike Bowers
Opponents called for the resignation of defence minister David Johnston after he criticised submarine builders ASC. Photograph: Mike Bowers

Tony Abbott defends David Johnston over canoe remark

This article is more than 9 years old

Opponents call for head of defence minister after he said he would not trust state-owned shipbuilder with the construction of a canoe

Tony Abbott is standing by his defence minister, David Johnston, after senior colleagues distanced themselves from comments that the government-owned shipbuilder could not be trusted to build a canoe.

The prime minister told parliament on Thursday he continued to have full confidence in Johnston, despite Labor intensifying its calls for the defence minister to be sacked and the Senate passing the first censure motion against a cabinet minister since 2005.

“The idea that this fine minister should somehow be disqualified from serving simply because of a mistake made in the heat of the moment is simply absurd,” Abbott said.

“I have full confidence in the minister for defence. I will say this of the minister for defence: he wants to be the minister. He is doing a fine job as the minister.”

Abbott added: “Labor had three defence ministers in six years; their first defence minister was sacked, their second defence minister resigned and their third defence minister wanted another job.”

Johnston shocked his colleagues with the strength of his criticism of ASC, formerly known as the Australian Submarine Corporation. He had been responding in Senate question time on Tuesday to Labor’s demands to allow a competitive tender process for construction work on the next submarine fleet.

After detailing problems with ASC’s output, Johnston said the company was “$350m over budget on three air-warfare destroyer builds”.

“You wonder why I am worried about ASC and what they are delivering to the Australian taxpayer,” he said. “Do you wonder why I wouldn’t trust them to build a canoe?”

The issue of defence construction jobs is politically sensitive in South Australia, with Johnston promising before the 2013 election that 12 submarines would be built in the state, but expectations are high of the government looking at a potential deal involving Japan.

The South Australian Liberal leader, Steven Marshall, made clear his displeasure on Wednesday by arguing that Johnston’s position was untenable.

The federal education minister, Christopher Pyne, also from South Australia, told Sky News: “It was a serious mistake and David Johnston has resiled from it … I don’t think he could have backed further away from his comments than he has today.”

Johnston said he regretted any offence that may have been taken from his “rhetorical flourish” and his frustration was directed at the past performance of ASC. On Wednesday, the Senate passed a censure motion, which has no practical effect except increasing the pressure on Johnston.

Labor pursued the issue in both chambers of parliament on Thursday.

During question time in the House of Representatives, the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said Johnston had insulted the workers at ASC and asked the prime minister: “If he won’t say sorry, why don’t you just sack him?”

Abbott replied: “The minister has repeatedly said how much he regretted that statement, which was something that was said in the heat of debate and which shouldn’t have been said.”

In the Senate, Labor put a series of questions to Johnston suggesting he should “take the only honourable course of action and resign” on the basis that he had lost the confidence of his colleagues.

When asked if he would “walk the plank and resign”, Johnston replied: “Of course not.”

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