David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Materiel. Will the minister advise the House how the government's defence white paper and 2016 Defence Industry Policy Statement are supporting small- and medium-sized Australian businesses to create jobs and help grow the economy?

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Banks for his question and say how much I enjoyed his first column as a modest member in the Australian Financial Reviewthis week—and I am sure there will be many more good ones. So well done.

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

The minister will come to his answer.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the House well knows by now, last week the government announced the defence white paper, which is a $30 billion additional investment in our Australian Defence forces. It includes an extra $1.6 billion to assist Australian industry to make the most of that $30 billion additional investment. That funding includes $230 million for the Centre for Defence Industry Capability; $730 million for research into emerging technologies; and $640 million for a new defence innovation hub.

The defence industry in Australia employs 25,000 people. There are 3,000 Australian SMEs in the defence industry, and they are ready to capitalise on this investment. I want to give the House an example of the type of company that will take advantage of this type of investment. It is in the seat of the member for Eden-Monaro, and I am sure he knows of this company. It is called Lintech, and they employ 35 people. That is real jobs in his electorate. They have been involved in the REDWING program, which has developed counter-IED devices. These devices are a world first, designed and developed in Australia. They are the size of a walkie-talkie and they stop IEDs from detonating by blocking their signal. That means that anything within a 10 metre radius will be blocked. This world-leading technology is saving lives. This Australian technology is being used in Afghanistan and it will be used elsewhere in the globe. Because of this, and the export potential, Lintech are now looking to hire more people to keep up with demand. That is more jobs in the seat of the member for Eden-Monaro and more income for that community. That community will be better off and the nation will be better off as a result of it.

This is the potential of our investment in the defence white paper—creating more jobs, a better defence industry for Australia, improving our nation and improving our national security. I ask all those opposite to please get on board and start promoting this defence white paper.