Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

No Australian government in modern history has invested more or done more to modernise our military than this coalition government. By way of comparison, the previous Labor government sat idle for six years in what could be referred to as a valley of death for the Australian defence industry. Not only did they famously fail to commission a single Australian built ship but they gutted $18 billion from the defence budget, bringing it to its lowest level since World War II. When I say that they gutted $18 billion, I mean that it was an actual cut, unlike what those opposite refer to in aged care as a cut. By comparison, aged-care funding has gone up by more than $1 billion each year under this government.

Having served both full time and part time as a Reservist in Australia's military, as many in this place have as well, it was very disappointing to see these cuts which impact on our ability to protect Australia's national interests. The protection of our national interests does require a strong and capable Australian Defence Force. Our ADF was a casualty of Labor's inability to effectively manage the budget. That lack of investment in defence industry really did cost jobs. Under Labor, 119 defence projects were delayed, 43 were reduced and eight were cancelled. This really did risk creating critical capability gaps.

By way of contrast, the Morrison government is getting on with the job of delivering for Defence and for our defence industry. In my home state of Western Australia, the Morrison government has restored hope to the defence industry. Ten of the 12 Arafura class patrol vessels, 21 Guardian class patrol boats, two minehunter support vessels, one hydrographic vessel and six patrol boats will be built at Henderson in Western Australia. Acknowledging that I have already reminded those present about Labor's inability to commission a single ship, it's my pleasure to point out that all of these numbers are in addition to that sum total of zero new ships commissioned by those opposite.

Let me focus now on the all-important aspect of Australian jobs. This is particularly topical at the moment as we move towards economic recovery through our response to and now recovery from coronavirus. The Morrison government is building a stronger defence industry through an unprecedented investment of $270 billion in Australia's defence capabilities. There are 15,000 businesses and 70,000 Australians employed in our defence industry that are directly benefiting from our $270 billion plan. We are creating at least 15,000 jobs in Australian defence shipbuilding with our plan to build more ships and create more jobs and more opportunities for small businesses right around the country. The 12 new offshore patrol vessel will be delivered by Australian workers in Australian shipyards using Australian steel. Now only will this project create employment for up to 1,000 Australia workers but the vessels will play an important role in protecting our borders and keeping Australians safe.

The Australian defence industry is also growing by taking up opportunities to participate in global supply chains, including that relating to the Joint Strike Fighter, or JSF. Under the JSF program, 50 Australian companies employing 2,400 people around Australia are involved, sharing $1.7 billion in production contracts. The Morrison government will meet our targets and go further in the JSF program, as the numbers are expected to increase to $2 billion and 5,000 jobs nationally by 2023.

On 26 August we announced a $1 billion defence recovery investment to keep defence industry strong on the road ahead. We're doing this to back local tradies and suppliers to do work on our defence bases. We're also increasing funding for defence industry grants, including the Skilling Australia's Defence Industry grant, and more than quadrupling the funding of this program from $4 million to $17 million a year. The Morrison government is getting on with the job of delivering for defence industry. (Time expired)

See this speech in context