STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr THOMPSON (Herbert) (13:54): Our critical military bases have been turned into a playground for unidentified drone operators because of this government's staggering incompetence. It is a betrayal of the men and women in uniform that the bases they serve on are being threatened and treated as unprotected targets. Reports show that there were 147 drone incidents, up from 60 the previous year.

These figures prove this isn't a fluke; it is a systematic, humiliating collapse of our national defences under this Labor government's watch. Australians deserve to know why the government allowed swarms of drones to operate at sensitive facilities with absolutely no consequence. We must know what intelligence was stolen, whether ADF members were filmed or followed and who was responsible.

The Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence must stop hiding under their desks and explain their shameful delay and why they kept the true scale of this national security disaster from the public. When our most sensitive bases are breached repeatedly and the government is clueless, Australians have every right to view the Albanese Labor government as a fundamental threat to our national security.

If this Prime Minister gave national security as much thought as he gave Kylie Minogue and the Japanese prime minister's melons, we might not be in this situation.