27th Mar 2017, 4:19 PM – Senate Documents - Defence Procurement - F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam (WA), which means it failed. The motion concerned the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter which have been criticised extensively.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) cannot turn, cannot climb, cannot run and cannot fight according to multiple reports from defence experts, and

(ii) an article in The Australian on 22 March 2017, which added to the litany of things the JSF cannot do, by confirming that it would not carry cluster munitions and therefore "would struggle to hit a moderately slow moving target such as a car";

(b) welcomes:

(i) the decision not to equip the JSF with an inhumane and internationally-banned weapon, and

(ii) the fact that the JSF is therefore less capable of killing people;

(c) notes that, in spite of this welcome news, the JSF remains a $17 billion waste of taxpayer money; and

(d) urges the Government not to proceed with such a profligate and unnecessary waste.