Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. How is a united Albanese Labor government delivering defence capability to keep Australians safe? What approaches has the government rejected?

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

I thank the member for Boothby, from the great defence state of South Australia, for her question. The Albanese government is united in working hard to deliver the capabilities our Defence Force needs to keep Australians safe. Importantly, we're accelerating delivery at the same time as creating Aussie jobs. We've increased naval strike range tenfold, and we're more than doubling the size of the warship fleet. Our first new warship will be delivered five years ahead of the Liberals planned first new frigate, and we'll deliver four new warships in the time the Liberal government was to deliver one.

We're also delivering the autonomous Ghost Shark submarine to safeguard our maritime approach. They are rolling off production lines in a factory in Sydney right now. We're acquiring counterdrone capabilities in record time. And our world-leading Ghost Bat is the first military aircraft designed and made in Australia in more than 50 years. We're making missiles right now in South Australia, and we'll open another missile factory next year. By contrast, under the last Liberal government not a single missile was built. All they produced was two media releases. You can't defend a country with media releases.

I'm also asked about what we've rejected. We've rejected the chaos and division that we've seen from the Liberals and Nationals. The Albanese government runs a proper, orderly cabinet process because our national security demands nothing less. This means we can deliver. We're creating 10,000 shipbuilding jobs. By contrast, the Liberals closed two shipyards, slashing thousands of jobs. We're investing $10 billion in drones and counterdrones. The Liberals cancelled the nation's only armed drone project. We're undertaking the biggest reform to defence in 50 years, while a pet goldfish lasted longer than Liberal defence ministers.

We're building factories while they are building leadership contenders. We're rolling out missiles and drones while they're rolling leaders. We're opening production lines while they're opening old wounds. We're focused on boosting our missile numbers, our ship numbers and our drone numbers. The only number the shadow defence minister is focused on is boosting his own numbers in their party room. The Albanese Labor government is delivering on our commitments to keep our nation safe, create jobs and build Australia's future. The Liberals and Nationals are a shambles; they are completely divided. We're focused on national security; all they care about is their own job security.

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

The member for Herbert interjected nine times during that one answer. As a result of him being on a warning, he will now leave the chamber for the remainder of question time.

Opposition members interjecting—

There are consequences for actions. I don't know why people can't understand that concept.

The member for Herbert then left the chamber .