Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. How is the Albanese Labor government growing Australia's defence industrial base, supporting jobs and building a future made in Australia? Why is this important after a wasted decade?

Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. Australia faces the most challenging strategic environment since 1945, and that's why the Albanese government is investing record amounts in the Australian defence industry to keep Australians safe and deliver a future made in Australia. I'm delighted to inform the House that, according to the latest statistics, the industry grew by 12½ per cent, and jobs grew in that sector by almost 10 per cent. This investment is guided by the lessons from recent conflicts, including that we don't just need the right equipment; we need the ability to make this equipment in Australia.

There's no better example of this than the Albanese government's $10 billion plan for drone and counterdrone technologies. Last month I announced our plan to acquire $1.3 billion worth of drone defences for the Australian Defence Force. Importantly, this will involve many innovative Australian companies, like Acacia Systems in Adelaide, which I recently visited. Their home-grown technology will be the brains of the ADF drone defence. We're also designing and making drones in Australia. Take a look at Ghost Shark, delivered on budget and ahead of schedule, or Ghost Bat, the first aircraft to be designed and made in Australia in over 50 years.

So we're growing capabilities for the ADF, we're growing jobs and we're growing sovereignty and self-reliance for Australia. Our record stands in stark contrast to the coalition's wasted decade, where they failed to support our local industry. They cancelled the only armed drone project and delivered zero drone defences for this country. We're delivering both armed drones and drone defences for the ADF. They closed two shipyards, costing thousands of Aussie jobs. We're delivering continuous naval shipbuilding in Western Australia and SA, supporting over 10,000 jobs. All they did for missile manufacturing was two media releases. We're building two missile factories, and this year Aussie workers will start making missiles in this country. Under their plan, there would have been no major warships for the Navy until 2034. Under us, there will be four new warships in that time, with the first delivered this decade. Unlike those opposite, we support Aussie workers and manufacturing, and that's why the Albanese government is backing a defence future made in Australia. In contrast, as question time again demonstrated, those on the opposite side can't be trusted on defence, can't be trusted on national security and always go the low road.