Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham said he did. I had a funeral to attend, unfortunately. But I would have loved to have been down there to see it, because what you see at work at that point is all of the issues that relate to shipbuilding and manufacturing coming together: all of the skills of the engineers, all of the skills of the designers, all of the skills of the workers—terrific skills—coming together to construct this ship.

We have another South Australian senator coming into the chamber, in Senator Ruston. They are all getting concerned, of course, because what all of the South Australian senators know is that unless we get some action from the Abbott government—

Government senators interjecting—

I know you can't speak, Mr Acting Deputy President Edwards, but I know that if you could speak you would be agreeing with me on this: we need some action from the Abbott government.