The Claim
“Appointed who said he has 'no interest in defence issues' as Minister for Defence.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
TRUE - Kevin Andrews was appointed as Minister for Defence on December 23, 2014, and he had previously made a remark stating he had "no interest in defence issues" [1][2].
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, before being sworn in as Australia's 52nd Defence Minister, Andrews was forced to reassure the military community of his commitment after it emerged he had once declared he had "no interest in defence issues" [1]. The remark was made in a private conversation during the Howard era to Mike O'Connor, then Executive Director of the Australian Defence Association (ADA) [1].
Neil James, Executive Director of the ADA, confirmed the association keeps a list of parliamentarians who make such remarks, stating: "The ADA has a very long corporate memory. We never forget" [1].
Andrews himself stated he did not recall making the remark, but contacted the ADA to assure them of his commitment to the defence portfolio [1].
Missing Context
Why was Andrews appointed Defence Minister?
The claim omits important context about why this appointment was made. Andrews replaced David Johnston as Defence Minister following Johnston's controversial "canoe" remarks. In November 2014, Johnston had stated he would not trust the government's shipbuilder ASC (Australian Submarine Corporation) to "build a canoe" - comments that sparked calls for his resignation [3][4][5].
Johnston was removed from the Defence portfolio during a cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Tony Abbott on December 21, 2014 [2][6]. Abbott stated Andrews would be a "steady pair of hands" and "very safe pair of hands" in the critical portfolio [1][6].
When was the "no interest" comment made?
The remark was made during the Howard era (1996-2007), approximately 7-17 years before the 2014 appointment. The SMH article describes it as a "private conversation" that the ADA documented [1].
Source Credibility Assessment
The original source is the Sydney Morning Herald, a mainstream Australian newspaper with a reputation for factual reporting. SMH is generally considered credible, though like all media, has editorial perspectives. This particular article was written by Heath Aston, a political correspondent [1].
The article relies on:
- Direct quotes from Neil James of the Australian Defence Association (a defence industry advocacy group)
- Confirmation from Kevin Andrews himself that he contacted the ADA to reassure them
- Statements from Prime Minister Tony Abbott about the appointment
The source appears factual and well-sourced, though the framing emphasizes the awkwardness of the appointment rather than providing extensive context about why the change was made.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor appoint ministers without defence backgrounds?
Search conducted: "Stephen Smith defence minister Labor experience background"
Finding: Labor's Stephen Smith served as Minister for Defence from 2010 to 2013 under the Rudd and Gillard governments [7][8]. Prior to Defence, Smith served as Minister for Foreign Affairs (2007-2010) and Minister for Trade (2010) [7][9].
Like Andrews, Smith did not have a military background before taking the Defence portfolio. He moved to Defence after gaining experience in related foreign policy matters. Smith's appointment was not controversial in the same way because he had established credentials in foreign affairs.
Historical pattern:
The SMH article notes that previous defence ministers from both parties, including Peter Reith, Robert Hill, Stephen Smith, and John Faulkner, all "occupied defence as their ministerial swansong" [1]. The Australian Defence Association's Neil James expressed concern that Defence was "getting very, very tired of receiving ministers who are really in their last term or two in Parliament" [1].
This suggests that appointing ministers without deep defence expertise to the portfolio has been common practice across governments of both persuasions, though the Association would prefer "younger and more able ministers with a future ahead of them" [1].
Balanced Perspective
The full story:
While the claim is factually accurate that Kevin Andrews once said he had "no interest in defence issues" and was subsequently appointed Defence Minister, the framing omits several important elements:
The remark was old and private: The comment was made during the Howard era (1996-2007), years before the appointment. Andrews stated he did not recall making it [1].
Context of the appointment: Andrews was appointed to replace David Johnston, who had just made damaging comments about Australian shipbuilders that undermined confidence in the defence industry [3][4][5]. The reshuffle was described by political commentators as "the reshuffle the PM had to have" [1].
Andrews' experience: While he may have lacked defence-specific interest historically, Andrews was "one of the government's most experienced ministers" having served as Minister for Social Services (2013-2014) and in various shadow ministry roles before that [1][10].
Cross-party pattern: Both Labor and Coalition governments have appointed ministers to Defence without prior defence-specific expertise. Stephen Smith (Labor) moved from Foreign Affairs to Defence; Peter Reith and Robert Hill (Coalition) also served as Defence ministers late in their careers [1].
Outcome: Andrews served as Defence Minister from December 2014 to September 2015, when he was replaced by Marise Payne in the Turnbull government [10]. During his tenure, he dealt with submarine acquisition decisions and the first review of Defence structure since the 1950s [1].
Key context: This appointment pattern is not unique to the Coalition. Both major parties have appointed ministers to Defence based on general seniority and political considerations rather than specific defence expertise. The "no interest" remark made this appointment particularly awkward, but the underlying practice of appointing senior ministers without defence backgrounds to the portfolio has been consistent across governments.
TRUE
7.0
out of 10
The claim is factually accurate. Kevin Andrews was appointed Minister for Defence on December 23, 2014, and he had previously made a remark stating he had "no interest in defence issues" during the Howard era. The Australian Defence Association documented this private comment, and Andrews himself acknowledged contacting them to reassure them of his commitment [1].
However, the claim presents this as a standalone criticism without acknowledging:
- The comment was made years earlier in a private conversation
- The appointment occurred in the context of replacing a Defence Minister (David Johnston) who had made damaging public remarks about Australian shipbuilders
- Both Labor and Coalition governments have historically appointed ministers without specific defence backgrounds to this portfolio
Final Score
7.0
OUT OF 10
TRUE
The claim is factually accurate. Kevin Andrews was appointed Minister for Defence on December 23, 2014, and he had previously made a remark stating he had "no interest in defence issues" during the Howard era. The Australian Defence Association documented this private comment, and Andrews himself acknowledged contacting them to reassure them of his commitment [1].
However, the claim presents this as a standalone criticism without acknowledging:
- The comment was made years earlier in a private conversation
- The appointment occurred in the context of replacing a Defence Minister (David Johnston) who had made damaging public remarks about Australian shipbuilders
- Both Labor and Coalition governments have historically appointed ministers without specific defence backgrounds to this portfolio
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (10)
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1
'No interest' comments come back to haunt new Defence Minister Kevin Andrews
In his first day as Defence Minister, Kevin Andrews has hit a landmine of his own making.
The Sydney Morning Herald -
2
Kevin Andrews new Defence Minister as Johnston dumped from Cabinet
Kevin Andrews has been named as the new Minister for Defence as part of a cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Canberra on Sunday.
The World of Aviation -
3
Defence Minister David Johnston 'regrets' his shipbuilder 'canoe' comments
Defence Minister David Johnston has expressed "regret" over his extraordinary remark that he would not trust the government's shipbuilder ASC to "build a canoe".
The Sydney Morning Herald -
4
David Johnston backtracks on 'canoe' remarks towards Australian Submarine Corporation
The Defence Minister backs down on his comments that the Australian Submarine Corporation couldn't be trusted "to build a canoe", telling the Senate he did not intend to cause any offence.
Abc Net -
5
Australian defence minister back-paddles on canoe comment
Sydney (AFP) - Australia's Defence Minister David Johnston Wednesday backtracked on comments in which he said a government shipbuilding firm could not be trusted to "build a canoe", amid calls that he be sacked.
Yahoo News -
6
Abbott Names Andrews Defense Minister in 1st Reshuffle
Bloomberg
-
7
Stephen Smith (Australian politician) - Wikipedia
En Wikipedia
-
8
Hon Stephen Smith - Parliament of Australia
Parliamentarian
Aph Gov -
9
Stephen Smith - The Conversation
Stephen Smith — Profile on The Conversation
The Conversation -
10
Kevin Andrews (politician) - Wikipedia
En Wikipedia
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.