QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (14:33): I thank you, Senator Lambie, for the question. I'll certainly provide you with the information that I have on this matter and, if there's anything further I can provide, I'll come back to you on that. I'm advised that the budget has made provision for the protective service framework that you've referred to over the budget years.

It's certainly not just a one-off set of funding. As you mentioned in your question, Senator Lambie, the AFP was assigned $199.1 million to deliver 199 PFO and a total of 245 ASL to provide force protection at HMAS Stirling. This was in the 2025-26 budget.

That extra staffing is being delivered and is well on track. That's what I'm advised. The reason this funding was provided is that much of our national security work can only be done by the professionals in the AFP.

These are important AUKUS jobs, and this government takes security very seriously. We have enormous respect for the AFP. The AFP has not engaged and is not engaging any contractors to provide this force protection capability, but, more broadly, Senator Lambie, I am advised that the budget has made provision for the protective service framework that you've referred to across the budget years, and, if there's any further information I can provide to you, I'll certainly do that.

The PRESIDENT: Senator Lambie, first supplementary?