Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Science) Share this | Hansard source

Australia's strategic environment is at its most dangerous level since World War II. They aren't my words. They are the words of the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence and every national security analyst across Australia. We debate all manner of things in this place, but let's remember that the first duty of the Australian government is to keep Australians safe and our nation secure. This duty only intensifies when the government declares the situation is so dire. The intent behind this matter of public importance is to call on the Prime Minister to match those words with action.

As a former minister for defence industry I was proudly part of the team that secured the AUKUS agreement. I'm proud of this agreement because it is about more than just submarines. It is about strengthening ties with our closest of allies, it is about securing peace through strength and it is about anchoring Australia's prosperity in a world where authoritarian powers are testing the resolve of free nations. AUKUS is the most strategic significant bequest our country has ever received. It gives us access to technology that only the closest of friends would share.

This agreement matters for all Australians but especially for Western Australians. WA will be the beating heart of Australia's naval capability. HMAS Stirling, the Submarine Rotational Force West and the Henderson precinct—they are central to AUKUS delivery. While we may not get our first submarines until the early 2030s, US and UK submarines are set to begin rotating through HMAS Stirling in 2027. That means that WA carries a nationally significant responsibility. But I have to say I do not have confidence that the Albanese government is going to meet that initial test—because it is a test, and I'm very disappointed that we may fail that initial test.

Despite repeated promises, Henderson's planning runs only to 2027, Commonwealth funding is a fraction of what is required and housing for Allied personnel under SRF-West is still not locked in—2027 is just around the corner. With the United States now reviewing aspects of AUKUS, the questions our allies are asking are simple: Can Australia deliver? Is Australia up to it? And yet, at precisely the moment when reassurance is needed most, we have a prime minister who has not even managed to meet the President of the United States. It's been 293 days now since President Trump was elected, and yet there has still been no meeting.

We know that President Trump is not exactly a conventional politician and that for him personal relations are particularly important. Look no further than the positive results that the UK prime minister was able to secure for his nation because of his relationship with President Trump. Maybe even more concerning is that we don't even seem to have support from people around President Trump. We know the ambassador, for example, has struggled to make progress on tariffs and the AUKUS review.

A meeting isn't just a symbolic thing. It would provide an opportunity to do exactly what we should be doing, which is making the strongest possible case to the United States. We are a proven ally. We have fought together for more than a century. We share intelligence, we share values and we share risk. Our case should be simple in that Australia strengthens the United States by being their capable partner in the Indo-Pacific. But, to make the case, words are simply not enough and we need to pull our weight. We need to lift our defence spending, A defence budget hovering over two per cent of GDP is just not enough; it's not credible for the risks that we face. The coalition believes in a clear, costed path to at least three per cent, because that is what is required for us to operate and maintain these submarines while not skimping out on other defence priorities.

This is a critical time for our nation, and so far Labor has failed us every step of the way. They've cancelled projects. They've delayed capability. They've left our Navy shrinking. During these precarious times, Australians rightly expect their government to step up. AUKUS is too important to fail. Let me repeat that: AUKUS is too important to fail. I call on the government: get your act together, get serious on defence and secure this agreement immediately.

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