COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH By
The Rt Hon. J. G. GORTON, M. P.
ON
F Ill AIRCRAFT
Ministerial Statement
[ From ihe ' Parliamentary Debates', 26 September 19681
Mr GORTON ( Higgins-Prime Minister)
-Mr Speaker, I lay on the table certain
documents pertaining to the purchase of
* Fl111 aircraft and -ask leave of the House
to make a statement concerning the samne.
Mr SPEAKER-There being no objection,
leave is granted.
Mr GORTON-Mr Speaker, I have told
the House that the Government wishes to
provide Parliament with as much information
as possible concerning the arrangements
made for the purchase of Fill aircraft. I
have made it clear that we will not disclose
any document or part of any document
which has a security content, and I have
stated that we will not disclose any docu-
Snt which, being confidential between
* aGovernment of Australia and the
Government of the United States of
America, cannot be disclosed without agreement
between us; at least, cannot he dis-
* closed without agreement between us without
adversely affecting the relations between
our two governments.
These limitations stand, and will stand.
We have had an examination made of
the documents and we have had consultations
with representatives of the United
States Government who have come from thle
United States to discuss with us the disclosure
of the documents relating to the
whole of this transaction. As a result, as
I have said, I lay on the table certain documents
which I believe satisfy the proper
requirements of a House of Parliament to
23 105/ 68 be informed as to the spending of public
money. These documents include a Memorandum
of Understanding dated 19th October
1963 and signed by the then United
States Secretary of Defence and the then
Australian Minister for Defence. These
documents are laid here except that Annex 1
has been excluded from the documents on
security grounds. On examination of the
documents it will be clear which Annex has
been excluded on these grounds.
The second document is a letter of 23rd
October 1963 from the then Minister for
Defence to the then United States Secretary
of Defence accepting the proposal contained
in the Memorandum of Understanding.
The third document is a letter of 2nd
November 1963 from the then United
States Secretary of Defence to the then
Minister for Defence of Australia confirming
these arrangements.
The fourth document is a letter from the
then Minister for Defence of Australia to
the then United States Secretary of Defence
giving reasons for deciding not to pursue
the proposal to use B47 aircraft as interim
aircraft. The fifth document is the agreed technical
arrangements between the United
States and Australia for the purchase of the
aircraft concerned.
These technical arrangements provide:
for fabrication of our aircraft and equipment
to the same documentation and quality
standard~ s as those required for the United
States aircraft; for the established United
States Department of Defence contracting
procedures to be used in relation to the purchase
of our own aircraft; for production
or work on our aircraft to be incorporated
in or placed on the same terms as contracts
let for the United States Government;
for inspection of all supplies for our
aircraft to be done to the same extent and
in the same manner as is inspection of
supplies for United States aircraft; and ( e)
for an Australian Project Manager to be
appointed with direct responsibility in conjunction
with the United States Project
Manager for initiating and monitoring all
implementation of actions under the arrangements.
The remaining documents laid upon the
table are minutes of meetings, from which
some extractions have been made, and
paragraph 4 of the last document reaffirms
-and I draw the House's attention to thisthe
ceiling price of $ 5.95m on the basic
Fill configuration which has already been
announced, subject only to the conditions
already announced in this House as to
various ways in which escalation may occur.
As to the subject of these documents, the
aircraft itself, I will at this stage say only
two things. If it is agreed that Australia
needs a long range strike bomber-and I had
gathered it was generally agreed that we did
-then the Fill fulfils the requirements of
the Australian Air Force staff for such a
bomber in all respects.
Mr Beaton-Does it now?
Mr GORTON-Yes, it does now. It
fulfils the requirements of the staff of the
Australian Air Force who are the military
advisers and who should know what is
required in all respects now just as much
as they did then. I know of no other
available bomber that does fulfil the requirements
of the Australian Air Force staff. If
it is agreed-and I would hope it were
agreed, but if it is not, then let us hear it
later-that Australia needs a bomber which
will fulfil these requirements of the Australian
Air Force staff far into the future,
instead of a bomber that only partly fulfils
our requirements, and that for a limited
time only, then this aircraft meets that need
better than any other available aircraft that
I know. Mr Connor-God help us.
Mr Curtin-Do you think they will last
long enough? Mr GORTON-I am not expressing my
own opinion. I am expressing the opinion
of the Air Force of Australia who advise
the Government and of whom I would have
thought the Opposition would take some
notice. Let me repeat: If it is agreed-and
perhaps it is not, and if it is not then let
those honourable members opposite who
are interjecting say so-that Australia needs
a bomber which will fulfil the requirements
of the Royal Australian Air Force staff far
into the future instead of a bomber that
only partly fulfils those requirements, such
as those that the Leader of the Opposition
( Mr Whitlam) has mentioned in this place,
and that for a limited time only, then this
Fill meets that need better than any other
aircraft which has been mentioned in th
House at any stage of this debate.
Mr Speaker, I believe that the present
difficulties into which this aircraft has run,
which are no greater than the difficulties
of any other aircraft at this stage of its
development, will be overcome.
Mr Bryant-You have been saying that
for 10 years.
Mr SPEAKER-Order! The House will
come to order. Interjections are coming
from both sides of the House. I again
remind honourable members that all interjections
are out of order. The honourable
member for Wills will restrain himself or I
will deal with him.
Mr GORTON-Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I dare say that the honourable member for
Wills might be restrained by the expert
opinion of the Royal Australian Air Force,
although I suppose this would be a matter
that would be subject to debate. I would
not be the least surprised if the honourab,
member for Wills thought he was move
militarily competent than the Government's
RAAF advisers, but I would be surprised if
many people would agree with him. I believe
that the difficulties which this aircraft has
encountered, which are no greater at this
stage than any other aircraft has encountered,
will be overcome. If that is so, Australia
will have what I admit is a highly
expensive aircraft but an aircraft which will
rank among the most effective of any aircraft
in any air force in the world. On any
criterion the second best is not good enough
for any defence requirement that we have,
and it is not too expensive for a nation
which needs the best in the world. I present
the following papers:
F111I Aircraft-Documents relating to purchase.
BY AUTHORITY: A. J. ARTHUR, COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT PRINTER, CANBERRA, A. C. T.