Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Before the last election the current Minister for Defence promised, 'The coalition is committed to building 12 new submarines here in Adelaide.' This week the Prime Minister said, 'When we make a commitment to the Australian people, we keep it.' Will the Acting Prime Minister now guarantee that his government will keep its commitment to build 12 submarines in Adelaide?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. The government has not yet made a final decision on the design and build of the next generation of Australians submarines.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question has been asked. There will be silence for the answer.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That decision will of course be made on the advice of Australia's Defence chiefs. What the Prime Minister has clearly said is that the bulk of the Australian work on this project will be centred on the South Australian shipyards. That means more jobs for South Australia.

What I find quite curious about this is that Labor's commentary on this issue seems to be vastly different since they have been in opposition than when they were in government. When they were in government they did not make too many decisions about defence, other than to cut expenditure to the lowest levels since 1937. But once or twice they did make decisions about acquiring new ships for the Australian Defence Force. One of those decisions was to purchase HMAS Choules. That was not built in Australia. They bought it from the United Kingdom. And when it came to replacing the Australian-built icebreaker, the Aurora, Labor called tenders and they chose a shortlist—

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. It was a straight-forward question: Will the government keep its promise to build 12 submarines?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. The question relates to shipbuilding. I call the Acting Prime Minister.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When it came to Labor's turn to make a decision about whether to build an icebreaker in Australia, they chose two shortlisted tenders, both of which said they were going to build the vessel in Europe. When HMAS Success needed to have a double hull added, they sent that job to Singapore.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is far too much noise in the chamber. We will have some silence so we can listen to the answer.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And when it came to servicing the Armidale-class patrol boats, they sent that work offshore as well. Labor is now trying to pretend that they are interested in an Australian shipbuilding industry, but when they were in office they did precisely the opposite. What I have noted is that Labor has said more about ships and the defence force in its six months in opposition than it did in six years in government. During six years in government it did nothing for the Australian shipbuilding industry. Now it is in opposition it is making promises and commitments it knows it has no intention of keeping.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Adelaide will desist or leave the chamber, the choice is hers. The member may therefore leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Adelaide then left the chamber.