Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question and applaud his commitment to Aussie manufacturing. The Albanese government has selected Mogami class as the preferred platform for our general-purpose frigates for the Navy. This frigate decision is the biggest capability decision made by this government since announcing the Optimal Pathway for our submarines. It delivers on our plan to double the surface combatant fleet, giving the Navy much greater firepower. It's a plan backed by the Albanese government's $55 billion investment over the decade to deliver more ships more quickly. It's a plan to build eight of these next-generation stealth frigates right here in Australia, and it's supported by tens of billions of dollars of investment that we will make in Western Australia as part of our commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding. And I'm proud to say it will support over 10,000 well-paid, high-skilled jobs in WA and thousands more across Australia as Aussie businesses build these next-generation stealth frigates. This truly is delivering a future made in Australia.

This decision was made months ahead of schedule and is an example of how we're accelerating critical defence capability projects to keep Australians safe, just like how we accelerated $1.3 billion in counter-drone capabilities to protect our troops and bases, a capability those opposite ignored when they were in power. We'll sign the frigate contract early next year, the first frigate will be delivered in 2029 and we'll have four frigates by 2034. That's four times as many frigates as the former coalition government planned and with the first new frigate delivered five years earlier. Let me repeat that: four times as many warships and the first five years earlier than the plan of those opposite when they were in power.

I'm asked about a wasted decade. Our record on defence capability stands in stark contrast to the coalition. Under us, we'll have the largest surface combatant fleet since World War II. Under them, they delivered the oldest fleet the Navy has had in the history of the Navy. Under us, we're creating tens of thousands of jobs as part of continuous naval shipbuilding. Under them, they closed two shipyards in Australia, costing thousands of jobs in Melbourne and the Hunter.

The Albanese government is getting on with the job of keeping Australians safe and delivering a defence future made in Australia, delivering more well-paid jobs for Australians, while those over there can't be trusted with defence or national security. (Time expired)

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