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

Our very first responsibility as a government is to keep Australians safe and to protect our way of life, our freedom and our values. As the Prime Minister said when he met with fellow world leaders in the US recently, 'No country is safe until we are all safe,' and this is why it's vital that we work together. So, just over one month ago, the historic AUKUS agreement was announced. This involves Australia's partnership with the UK and the US, and it is now going from strength to strength.

The enhanced security partnership is a victory for friendship, freedom and security. It's founded on a shared belief in democratic freedoms for which we have fought side by side: human dignity, the rule of law, independence of sovereign nations, and the peaceful fellowship of nations. If COVID has highlighted anything, it is that our world is dramatically changing, particularly within our region, the Indo-Pacific. We're navigating through one of the most complex challenges in living memory, and it's more important now than ever that we engage with like-minded friends.

Thanks to AUKUS, Australia will become the first nation in 70 years to acquire nuclear-powered submarine technology from the US, enabling us to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines right here in Australia. This capability will significantly enhance Australia's ability to deter threats and to uphold stability and security in the Indo-Pacific. We are reinforcing our focus on our own backyard and working to support the interests, security and prosperity of our Indo-Pacific family.

Another project to come out of AUKUS which I'm extremely pleased about and which is a monumental win for WA defence industry is the installation of a large vessel dry berth. Essentially, that is a facility where you can float a ship in, close off the dock, drain the water and have the ship sitting on a dry berth. This will enable the build and maintenance of, firstly, those large naval surface combatant ships that Australia is investing in over the next decade and also the build and maintenance of civilian commercial vessels. Further to that, we will also be able to host allied naval vessels in this facility. Currently we have only one such facility, which was built way back towards the end of the Second World War and which is in Sydney. This new facility means that we'll have the ability to support a two-ocean based naval strategy, meaning that we can have, and support, the fleet of our naval ships in Western Australia. Further to this, this facility will involve around $1 billion in construction costs alone but will also provide the opportunity for jobs for generations to come. Indeed we've seen the facility in Sydney last for 75 years already, so we're looking at probably a 100-year lifespan for this facility.

Under this partnership, Australia will also acquire additional long-range strike missile capability, and this will provide Australian strike effects with distance, precision and lethality across our air, land and maritime domains. But it doesn't stop there. Through AUKUS we will also collaborate to enhance our joint capabilities, focusing on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and additional undersea capabilities, and all of this is on top of the $270 billion which this Morrison government is investing in defence capability over the next decade. Under the Force Structure Plan, the government will continue to acquire major capabilities. Of course this now includes at least those eight nuclear submarines that, as we've discussed, we will be acquiring, as well as nine Hunter class frigates, joint strike fighters, Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles and many other capabilities. These investments, hand in hand with AUKUS, will help build a sovereign industrial base that is internationally competitive, innovative and high-tech and will meet Australia's defence capability needs, creating jobs and skills today and into the future. The AUKUS partnership builds on Australia's significant network of other partnerships like ASEAN, Five Eyes, the Quad and the Pacific Islands Forum. It complements our existing investments and builds our presence in the Indo-Pacific. This historic partnership will bolster peace, stability and security for Australia and for our regional neighbours.

House adjourned at 20:00

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