The Prime Minister's Broken Plane: An Embarrassment and Conundrum

🛩️The Prime Minister's first major diplomatic test involved attending a Southeast Asian Summit in Melbourne.

❌The old Defense 4757 planes have been grounded for maintenance 52 times out of 660 missions in the past 5 years.

💰Replacing the old planes would require a significant amount of money that the government is currently unwilling to spend.

🤝The Deputy Prime Minister is open to bipartisan support for upgrading the planes if a decision to do so is made.

🌍The incident raises questions about the country's ability to be taken seriously on the international stage.

Why did the Prime Minister's plane break down?

—The Prime Minister's old Defense 4757 plane experienced a fault with the nose landing gear, which required overnight repairs.

How many times have the old planes been grounded for maintenance?

—The old Defense 4757 planes have been grounded for maintenance 52 times out of 660 missions in the past 5 years.

Is the government willing to spend money on plane replacements?

—The government is currently unwilling to spend the significant amount of money required for plane replacements.

Would there be bipartisan support for upgrading the planes?

—The Deputy Prime Minister has expressed willingness to support bipartisan efforts to upgrade the planes if a decision to do so is made.

What does this incident say about the country's international reputation?

—This incident raises questions about the country's ability to be taken seriously on the international stage.

00:00The Prime Minister showed up late to his first major diplomatic test due to his old Defense 4757 plane breaking down.

00:08The old Defense 4757 planes have a history of maintenance issues, being grounded 52 times in the past 5 years.

00:16The government is hesitant to spend money on replacing the old planes.

01:12The Deputy Prime Minister is open to bipartisan support for upgrading the planes.

03:18The incident raises questions about the country's international reputation.