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

I'll begin my contribution to this debate by congratulating the member for Hasluck for drafting this motion. You've got to give it to those opposite—when it comes to drafting motions and media releases, they've really got some talent. Unfortunately, that record for making announcements isn't matched by delivery.

You had your go; thank you, Member for Hasluck. Nowhere is that clearer than in the much-lauded announcement of a $12 billion investment in the Henderson precinct. I want to be clear. The coalition supports the vision for Henderson. As a proud Western Australian, I am incredibly proud of Henderson and its shipbuilding industry. We support a sovereign industrial hub capable of continuous shipbuilding and the maintenance of our future nuclear powered submarines. It isn't just essential for our sovereign capability and the future of AUKUS. It also represents a massive economic opportunity for my home state of Western Australia, with the potential to create over 10,000 skilled jobs.

Given the importance of this project, particularly to the AUKUS agreement, I was pleased to see the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence and also the Premier of Western Australia finally put on their AUKUS hats and get down to Henderson and commit new money to the development of the precinct—four years too late, I would say, but better late than never! However, it quickly became apparent that this announcement was not reflective of a real plan to urgently move ahead. While we know the Prime Minister has promised this $12 billion towards the precinct's redevelopment, the total figure required, by his government's own admission, is likely to be $25 billion. The government can't even answer basic questions on when and over what period their commitment will be spent. But that's not all; the boundaries and the definition of the actual Henderson precinct haven't even been finalised, and the planning work won't be complete until 2027. It's nearly the end of 2025. Let's get a wriggle on!

The reality is that, under Labor, Henderson is not being accelerated. Sadly, it's being delayed. Without real funding, we risk a shrinking navy, idle shipyards and lost AUKUS opportunities for the people of Western Australia. We risk losing skilled workers and investment at the very time we should be growing them. During the last round of Senate estimates, Defence officials outlined that Australia faces the most dangerous strategic environment we have seen since the Second World War. The threat of conflict breaking out in our region in the next decade is no longer a remote possibility. What we need is a government to be honest about these risks and to prepare us for what may lie ahead. I'm not chest-beating for conflict. I'm not being hawkish. But the truth is that reviews and multiple media announcements do not deter aggression. What deters aggression is readiness. What we need is peace through strength, and Australia has an important role to play in collective deterrence.

I note that, since this motion was drafted, the Prime Minster has been to Washington, and I welcome the confirmation from President Trump that AUKUS has survived his administration's review. AUKUS was a good deal when Prime Minister Morrison announced it in 2021, and in 2025 it remains a good deal. The fact that it has now endured two Australian prime ministers, three UK prime ministers and two US presidents is testament to that. But the reality is that AUKUS too has been underfunded from the start. The government has promised the most ambitious industrial build in our history without allocating the money to make it real. Key AUKUS decisions including the east coast base, the full Adelaide build schedule and the skills pipeline remain unfunded and unconfirmed. In my short term back in the defence industry portfolio, I've also heard major concerns about progress on AUKUS Pillar II, and, because the government has failed to lift defence spending, AUKUS is cannibalising the rest of the defence budget—robbing Peter to pay Paul—and that's why the coalition has been clear: the government must set a credible, costed path to at least three per cent of GDP for defence. That is what it is going to take to deliver real capability, not just press releases. The coalition is committed to spending at least three per cent of GDP on defence, which will back our Defence Force with a budget, give our men and women in uniform what they need in order to defend our home, support our industry and also show urgency to make sure we keep Australia safe. The coalition will always choose readiness over rhetoric and, under us, Henderson, AUKUS and the Australian Defence Force will have the funding, focus and future that they deserve.

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