Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel. What progress has been made by Defence Housing Australia as part of the government’s Nation Building and Jobs Plan, and what has been the response from the defence and broader communities?

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to thank the member for Blair for his question and note the significant impact that the government’s Nation Building and Jobs Plan will have on his electorate. As part of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, the government provided Defence Housing Australia with $251.6 million for the building of 802 dwellings for Australian Defence Force personnel in metropolitan and regional areas across the country. The member for Blair’s electorate will benefit from the construction of 133 new dwellings as a result of this program.

I am pleased to announce that strong progress has been made since February of this year, when the plan was first launched. Seven building contracts have been signed, worth $24.5 million, to build 100 houses. These are in Brisbane, at Pickering Hill; in Adelaide, at Andrews Farm; and in Ipswich, at Fairview Rise. Construction of these dwellings will commence in a few weeks. By June of this year, we expect to sign another 32 contracts for a further 283 houses. Under the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, construction will be carried out in 17 areas across Australia—in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Townsville, Ipswich, Sydney and many other places. It is estimated that the building program will support up to 2,000 jobs.

I can also flag today that DHA will soon establish an apprenticeships program to support DHA’s expanding building program, bringing forward their pre-existing building schedule by some 74 per cent. The new apprenticeships program will deliver 20 new four-year apprenticeships to provide employment and training opportunities in locations where DHA will have intensive building activity over the next few years. Nicole Quinn, the National Convenor of Defence Families Australia, said about this program:

DHA is very excited to see such an extensive rollout of new housing for ADF members and their families. It is great to see the government recognising the support ADF families provide to our serving members. This extra housing is a welcome step to accommodate Defence families with modern housing in recognition of the transient lives they lead.

That is a very strong endorsement of this program. It is a program that is very popular with the defence community across Australia. It is a program which will create job opportunities and opportunities for small business across the community. I find it passing strange, then, that the following members of this House, whose electorates will actually benefit from this construction activity—

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Name them.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Paterson, the member for Herbert—he who says that he is a great supporter of Defence Force families; he who says he is a supporter of the Defence Force in Australia. Why did he oppose a proposition that would provide an additional 118 houses in his electorate? Why did he oppose a proposition that would provide jobs for workers in his electorate? Why did he oppose a proposition that would provide opportunities for small business in his electorate?

Of course, there are others. Let me tell you who they are: the member for Gilmore; the member for Groom; the student, the member for Mayo; the member for Indi; the member for Riverina; and the member for Flinders. What is even stranger is that there are 17 opposition electorates that have significant Defence Force facilities within them. What do these members of the opposition say to their Defence Force communities when they visit these places?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are they consistent?

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are consistent all right. When they are asked, ‘Did you support this proposal? Do you support our families in getting new homes?’ they have to say ‘no’. In fact, what they have to tell them is: ‘We would vote to not give you a brass razoo. You’re not worth a crumpet. We couldn’t be bothered giving you anything, not even the crumbs off the table, to provide new housing.’

The member for Wentworth has some significant Defence Force assets in his community. He has the Garden Island dockyard and defence precinct, he has HMAS Kuttabul, he has HMAS Watson, he has the Navy fleet headquarters and he has Navy Fleet Base East.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’ve forgotten Victoria Barracks.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And Victoria Barracks is in it as well. Let me ask the member for Wentworth: why wouldn’t you bother saying to those people why you voted against this particular measure?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Victoria Barracks has been there for 150 years and he doesn’t even care.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the member for Wentworth: what are you going to say to the members of the Defence Force in those barracks as to why you oppose this measure? Will you tell them that you voted against giving them any money for new housing through this proposal? What we know is that those opposite exhibit gross hypocrisy about jobs. What we hear out of the opposition leader’s mouth time and time again is ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’. But when he gets the opportunity—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will ignore the interjections. The interjectors will cease.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When he gets the opportunity to vote for jobs, jobs, jobs, what does he do? He votes against it. What does he do when he gets an opportunity to vote—

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where are the slouch hat jobs? Do you want to talk about military jobs? Well, stump up and talk about them.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fadden is warned.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance—although it is good to know that jobs, jobs, jobs are starting to sink in, even with this minister.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is responding to the question but he will bring his answer to a conclusion.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As others have said in this place, we will know the truth of their words by their actions. We know what their actions in this place are on jobs, jobs, jobs. They vote against them at every opportunity.