Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's previous answer and I refer him to the member for Warringah's comments reported in The Australian today where he said that he was 'flabbergasted' at the decision to see these submarines delayed. The member for Warringah goes on to say we need the decision 'swiftly' made so we can 'get the new subs from the middle of the next decade.' He goes on to say that the Collins class have 'a fragile capability'. Prime Minister, is the member for Warringah wrong?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many did Labor order?

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Immigration will cease interjecting, as will members on my left.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. The Chief of the Defence Force confirmed yesterday, as honourable members would have noted, that there has been no delay to the Future Submarine Program. The actual delivery date of the first future submarine will depend, naturally, on the outcome of the competitive evaluation process which is underway, and that reality has not changed. The Chief of the Defence Force confirmed that Defence analysis indicates that all of the Collins-class submarines will require upgrades before the introduction of the future submarine. One or two may need to be put through an additional full-cycle docking, which is a deeper level of maintenance.

Since coming to government the coalition has commenced a competitive evaluation process for our future submarines, future frigates and offshore patrol vessels. We have tenders underway for Australian industry to build the replacement Pacific patrol boats. Unlike those opposite, who slashed $18 billion from Defence spending—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Members on my right will cease interjecting. Before I call the Manager of Opposition Business, the member for Jagajaga and the member for Wakefield have been interjecting frequently, as I have said. They are both warned. I call the manager of opposition business.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question goes to—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the Manager of Opposition Business needs to state his point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is on direct relevance because the question goes to a matter of national security as to whether the previous Prime Minister is accurate or not in his statements with respect to the Collins-class submarine.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I have heard the Manager of Opposition Business—

Mrs Griggs interjecting—

The member for Solomon is warned as well. I am not going to have interjections while I am addressing a point of order or addressing the House. I have heard the Manager of Opposition Business's point of order. I do not agree. There were lengthy quotes within the question, but the Prime Minister has been on that policy topic the entire answer. When questions like that are asked, he is entitled to remain on that policy topic as he has. At no point has he strayed from it. The Prime Minister has the call.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor governments delayed 119 Defence projects, degraded 43 and cancelled eight. Contrary to that approach, we are getting on with the job and providing the certainty that Australia's defence industry lost under Labor.

Labor sat on its hands when it came to the Future Submarine Program. Despite including future submarines in their 2009 white paper, they did nothing at all for six years in government. They delayed the project and announced they would not make a decision until after the 2013 election. Labor failed to commission a single naval vessel from any Australian yard during their entire time in office. They failed to make the decisions needed to avoid the valley of death in our shipbuilding industry.

We are getting on with the job. We are playing catch-up after years of Labor neglect. Our commitment is to support our economy in transition from the mining construction boom. It will promote more jobs and greater growth. It will promote innovation. Three hundred thousand new jobs were added to our economy in the last 12 months. The growth figures I mentioned a moment ago demonstrate that there is confidence and growth in our national economy. The defence white paper and the commitments made therein will ensure that we have a strong defence industry, unlike the way in which Labor neglected it during their six lost years—years lost to investment in Australian defence, years lost to supporting innovation in defence technology, years lost in ensuring Australia is secure.