Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery. What progress is the Albanese Labor government making to improve defence capability and defence industrial capacity? Why is this required after a decade of waste in the defence portfolios?

Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and her commitment to the defence of the nation. The first duty of any Commonwealth government is to keep Australians safe and protect our interests. That's why this morning I was proud to announce that the Albanese Labor government will invest $850 million to manufacture advanced long-range strike missiles in Australia. In partnership with Kongsberg Defence Australia, we're investing in a factory at Newcastle airport to manufacture naval strike missiles and joint strike missiles. This will create 500 jobs in construction and 100 ongoing high-skilled, high-tech jobs. This will be only the second factory in the world to produce these advanced strike missiles and the first outside of Norway. Australian industry is highly skilled and cost competitive, and we will actually receive these Australian-made missiles faster than if we joined the global queue. This is all about keeping Australians safe in an uncertain global environment, creating local jobs and supporting a future made in Australia.

This is in stark contrast to the approach when the Leader of the Opposition was the defence minister. While the Leader of the Opposition was sitting on the NSC and Minister for Defence, Australia experienced a wasted decade. It was all Top Gun music and red carpet and zero delivery. Under him, the guided weapons enterprise produced two media releases—that's it. Under us, we're building two missile factories. Under him, Navy's maximum strike range was about 200 kilometres, using 1970s technology. Under us, it will be 2,500 kilometres. Under him, two Australian shipyards closed, and over 2,000 workers lost their jobs. Under us, there will be continuous shipbuilding in South Australia and Western Australia, providing decades of work. He wanted submarines built overseas. We're building submarines here, creating 20,000 jobs.

The truth is that the Leader of the Opposition is weak on national security. He is all bluster and glass jaw. By contrast, we're funding the Australian Defence Force appropriately, providing strategic direction, keeping Australians safe and building a future made in Australia.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is far, far too much noise. That wall of noise is unacceptable. If it continues, there will be general warnings and people will just leave the chamber. It may be the last day of this sitting fortnight, but I want standards enforced today.