Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The release of the defence white paper today will shape the future of our defence industries and South Australia stands to benefit. The submarine force will be increased from six to 12 submarines, and with nine frigates to be built in Adelaide 2,500 jobs will be delivered to South Australia. As Tory Shepherd said in today's The Advertiser: 'One of the top people involved in the production of the defence white paper says South Australians will be very happy with it.'

This is not just a white paper for South Australia; Australia's first sustainable naval shipbuilding industry is good news for all of Australia. The defence white paper provides for a continuous build in Australia of frigates—brought forward to be built in Adelaide from 2020—and offshore patrol vessels. Moreover, it will provide certainty for hundreds of companies in the defence sector giving them more work, jobs and incentives to innovate.

We all know that defence has been an area of contention over the past few years, as defence is almost the only area of spending that the Rudd-Gillard governments failed to boost. Defence spending dropped under Labor from 1.9 per cent of GDP to 1.6 per cent of GDP—the lowest level since before World War II. Labor left us exposed by not commissioning a single naval vessel to be built in Australia and now we have Labor's 'valley of death' and jobs losses in defence shipbuilding—not just in South Australia but right around Australia.

I have been fighting for more jobs in the naval shipbuilding industry since I was elected and I want to see the submarines built in Adelaide. I am going to keep fighting for more defence jobs, and the white paper today is an important step forward.