Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed. Good old Will Shrapnel, indeed. I was incredibly disappointed to see the defence minister recently call into question the AUKUS alliance as if it were under threat if we didn't support his bill. Conflating our opposition to bad policy with a reversal of our long-held support of the AUKUS alliance and defence sector is utterly despicable. AUKUS would not have happened but for the former Prime Minister, the previous defence minister, Linda Reynolds, and the current opposition leader. It is absolutely shameful for this Labor government to suggest that we are somehow not locked in with AUKUS. It's also very disrespectful, considering the work that we did to get it up. Our defence and national security are not bargaining chips for Labor to gamble on its latest whim or novel policy. AUKUS is about our defence, security and economic strength. It was the coalition government that co-designed the alliance with our UK and US allies.

Labor continues to ride on the coat tails of our defence achievements, but AUKUS should be above politics. The government should be embarrassed by this appalling and desperate attempt to pass their flawed bill. Despite Labor's reckless politicisation of our defence and national security, our record unequivocally demonstrates the coalition's commitment to sovereign defence industry manufacturing: the coalition government's $270 billion decade-long sovereign capability program proves it. The very existence of the AUKUS alliance is proof, once again, of this commitment.

It's also why we put space industry at the core of our Modern Manufacturing Strategy. Australia should be at the forefront of science and advanced manufacturing, that's why we established the Australian Space Agency. Having a cutting-edge space industry is not just a matter of national pride; it's imperative that we operate in space for the defence of our nation. Space and cyber are domains in which we must be ahead of the game. Protecting Australia's interests in space means maintaining the security of our communications, financial, navigation and signals capabilities. Space affects almost every aspect of everyone's life in Australia. Many Australians would not even recognise the importance of this and, apparently, neither does this federal Labor government. While our competitors and our allies are investing heavily in the sector, Labor are ripping out incentives. Just think about this: in less than five years the US Space Force has amassed 16,000 military and civilian personnel, with an operational budget of $24½ billion. In contrast, the Australian Navy, now in its 122nd year, has 15,200 personnel. The RAAF, in which our Defence Space Command sits, is just 14,500 personnel—that's the entire RAAF.

We have a very long way to go, and we must. The Defence Space Command motto says it well, 'Space really is the ultimate high ground'. When in government, we did just that, investing in research, manufacturing, exports and missions. Labor appears to be dismantling our progress at every turn, and both industry and the community deserve to know why. In the seven key priority areas that Labor are talking about, they have very silently dropped space off—nothing to see here. It absolutely beggars belief that this government would drop this off in an increasingly contested environment—the most contested and geopolitically unstable period since the end of World War II, where space and cyber are going to be critical domains should conflict come our way. Yet, under this fund that the government is putting together, this reconstruction fund, they're not investing in space. It beggars belief!

In rushing this bill through, the Albanese government wants to offer $15 billion in taxpayer funds to a board picked by Labor to fund priorities set by Labor. They are leaving the task of determining manufacturing priorities to the minister. The potential for misuse is enormous, and I need not remind the House how out of whack Labor's priorities are. Instead of addressing energy security, they're funding climate warrior training programs. Instead of mental health support, they're spending $400 million a year of borrowed taxpayers' money on a housing policy experiment that may not result in the construction of one home. Borders are opening and the Navy is on alert. Regional GPs are closing. Businesses are shutting up shop. The construction sector is teetering on the edge of collapse. Mobile towers are going up across Labor held seats while regional Australia languishes once again at the hand of Labor's neglect. And those opposite have the gall to talk about integrity and transparency!

We know where Labor's priorities lie and we know what Labor do. It's kind of like a reverse Robin Hood. They rob hardworking families and their businesses to pay for union elites. They promise to fix the problem, but they want Australian taxpayers to foot the bill. Labor promises the world, but then they give you an atlas. Why do Australians always pay more under Labor?

I remind the government that they are just that: they are the government now; they are not an opposition in exile. They are not playing with union funds on the campaign trail. They are tasked with investing taxpayers' money to provide for them the best return. That means investing in priority economic areas which are clearly defined and based on reality, not on political whim. It means investing those funds with value for money and long-term success in mind. It means protecting funds from special interest groups, including political donor bodies such as the trade unions to which they are so beholden. It means keeping national security and defence beyond day-to-day politics.

It's time for Labor to get up, grow up and show up for the Australian people. No more politics. No more smoke and mirrors. It's time for real action and real outcomes for Australian families and their businesses.

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