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

My question is to the Minister for Defence. How is the Albanese Labor government progressing AUKUS, and what other approaches are being put forward?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. Last Wednesday, the Prime Minister and the Premier of Western Australia were at HMAS Stirling in Rockingham, which right now is hosting the USS Vermont, a US Navy Virginia class submarine which is undergoing the most extensive maintenance on an American nuclear powered submarine outside of America ever. This work is being undertaken by 120 Australian workers, and that too is unique in terms of non-Americans working on a US submarine.

But, well before the Vermont reached Australia, it already had a distinctly Australian character because, of the 130-odd crew, 11 submariners and two officers—10 per cent of the crew—are Australians enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy. This is a powerful example, but it's just one example of the way in which, today, AUKUS is happening. That's what serious defence policy looks like.

It also could not be further from what we see from those opposite. The very next day, the Leader of the Opposition delivered a keynote speech on Defence. Amidst various utterances on Defence spending, there were no details about the platforms on which they would spend the Defence budget. There were no details about the kind of Defence Force the coalition would build. There were no details about their strategic intent. Indeed, the speech was reminiscent of the 'Defence policy vacuum', which was so eloquently described by the Liberal Party's own election review. Overshadowing all of—

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

Order! The manager will make his point of order.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance—the member asked a relevant question about AUKUS. There's been a serious change of leadership in AUKUS that the minister hasn't advised the House about. He's talking about Liberal Party reviews—

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

Resume your seat. He was asked about what other approaches are being put forward. So, whilst it wasn't a straight AUKUS question—

Ms Bell interjecting—

The member for Moncrieff! I'm dealing with the manager's point of order. The Deputy Prime Minister wasn't asked about alternative policies, but he was asked about alternative approaches being put forward. He's got one minute remaining. I'll ask him to be directly relevant to the question he was asked. The remainder can't be completely about the opposition, because he wasn't asked about opposition policy; he was asked about approaches.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What overshadowed the Leader of the Opposition's Defence speech was that, within 24 hours, we had the shadow minister briefing out that he'd absolutely not been consulted on it, which is a demonstration that, no matter what they are talking about, what fundamentally characterises the coalition is that they are deeply divided. Then again, why would the Leader of the Opposition consult with this shadow minister when, in this very week, you've got Brutus 1 here and Brutus 2 up there engaging in the most unedifying knife-sharpening competition, while those opposite—

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

Order! The Deputy Prime Minister will pause. We're not going anywhere until—

The member for Bruce is warned! I know it's the last week. I'm going to ask the Deputy Prime Minister to temper his language. He has eight seconds left.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

While those opposite are focused on themselves, the Albanese government is focused on delivering for our nation to keep Australians safe.