Defence Minister Richard Marles says there is a “lot of mess to clean up” from the former Coalition government in regard to defence.
Mr Marles said there are issues around “culture in defence” which are a result of the “ten-year tenure” of the Coalition government.
“When you have six really seven different defence ministers over the course of nine years – that is demoralising to defence, and it has been,” Mr Marles said during Question Time on Thursday.
“When you leave the oldest surface fleet in our country since the Second World War, that is demoralising, and it has been.
“When you make $45 billion worth of announcements, and you do not put a cent behind it, that is demoralising.
“There is a lot of mess to clean up, which this government is committed to doing.
“We are giving the Defence Force a strategic purpose.”