Zero tolerance was Paterson’s message to Australia’s defense bureaucracy after officials at Senate Estimates allegedly arrived unprepared, refused to answer politically sensitive questions and still had not returned some answers taken on notice.
October estimates could become a major confrontation, he said, after the vice chief of the defense force failed to answer questions on cuts to the integrated investment program and replied that some matters were “for the government to decide.”
On AUKUS, Paterson backed the pact but said Britain’s industrial and workforce constraints appear larger than officials suggest, while HMAS Stirling must be ready by the end of next year and Australia is not close to building submarines alone.
He said Australia faces 2 potential submarine capability gaps—between Collins and Virginia boats in the early 2030s, and later between Virginia and SSN-AUKUS—arguing Canberra should examine supplementary long-range strike options such as the B-21.
Beyond submarines, he cast AUKUS Pillar 2 as a defense single market still hampered by regulation, and backed deeper Pacific security ties to block any Chinese military or policing foothold.