Johnston successfully stood for a WA Senate seat in the federal election on 10 November 2001. He assumed office on 1 July 2002 and on 6 March 2007 was made Minister for Justice and Customs (effective 9 March),following the move of former Justice minister Chris Ellison to the Human Services portfolio.[6]
Malcolm Turnbull,on becoming Leader of the Opposition,promoted Johnston to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Defence. In September 2010 he was re-appointed to that role by Opposition leader,Tony Abbott,after the 2010 election.[7]
Following the 2013 federal election,Johnston was sworn in as Minister for Defence,effective 18 September 2013.
Comments on ASC
In November 2014,Johnston came under fire for comments regarding the government owned defence building company,the Australian Submarine Corporation. In comments to the senate he stated that ASC was delivering no submarines for one billion dollars and that they were over $350,000,000 over budget on three air warfare destroyer builds and that it was probably more than six hundred million but the bad data could not grant him an answer and then he said "You wonder why I'm worried about ASC and what they're delivering to the Australian taxpayer,you wonder why I wouldn't trust them to build a canoe?".[8] The South Australian Liberal Party demanded an apology for the senator's remarks[9] and the federal Labor opposition called for the senator's resignation from the Defence portfolio.[10] Johnston indicated he regretted his comments the next day,calling it a "rhetorical flourish". Opposition Senate Leader Penny Wong moved a motion to censure Johnston for his remarks on the ASC,as well as his handling of the ADF staff pay cut. The motion passed 37 to 31 votes.[11]
Much of the anti-Liberal swing at the 2014 Fisher state by-election in South Australia,where Labor won the traditionally Liberal seat by just five votes from a 7.27 percent two-party swing to go from minority to majority government,was attributed to Johnston's "I wouldn't trust them to build a canoe" remark toward South Australia's Australian Submarine Corporation,occurring just several days out from the by-election. The unpopularity of then Prime MinisterTony Abbott was cited as the other main factor.[12][13][14]
Leaked dinner receipts
In December 2014,less than a month after his comments on the ASC were made,News Corp leaked images of receipts totalling thousands of dollars allegedly used by Senator Johnston's government-issued credit card to pay for the dinners of a number of companies vying for a contract to build the Collins-class submarine replacement project. Items on the receipts came to a total of $6,384 and sometimes cost up to $300 a head as well as including $200 bottles of wine.[15] After the leak was released two staffers from the senators office resigned but neither were accused of being responsible for the leak.[16] A spokesperson for Senator Johnston responded by saying "All hospitality hosted by the Defence Minister and extended to foreign dignitaries or industry heads,including at the time of the Albany Commemoration,has been within guidelines and is consistent with previous defence ministers' practice" and that the senator's office was investigating the leaks and would not comment any further.[17]
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