We start with some corrections and clarifications and then look at the Robodebt Royal Commission and ask: are there implications for Defence? There may well be.
The Royal Commission exposed many examples of misleading advice being provided to government – and then politicians being complicit in going along with a scheme that was illegal. Defence has not been sending out debt notices to poor people, but it has been pushing multi-billion dollar acquisitions for which there has been almost no public discussion about how and why such large amounts are being spent. We run through some projects that appear to lack justification – at least as far of the public are concerned. And on the export of 8×8 Boxer vehicles to Germany, that is good news but please dial down the hype and exaggeration – it’s not the largest export order that Australian industry has ever won.