Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston, to questions without notice asked by Senators Conroy and Lines today relating to the manufacture of the next fleet of Australian submarines and to Australian Defence Force terms and conditions.

The answers given by the minister, Senator Johnson, today to Senator Conroy clearly elucidated the situation we find ourselves in with this minister. He has no idea that the Prime Minister's office is backgrounding, is working at odds with the defence minister's portfolio. What is very, very clear is that 84 per cent of South Australians support the next generation of submarines to be built locally. We are almost approaching the majority of South Australian Liberal members of parliament supporting the next generation being built in Adelaide and honouring that promise that the minister made on that ill-fated day. On 8 May 2013 the then opposition defence minister said:

We will deliver those submarines from right here at ASC in South Australia. The Coalition today is committed to building 12 new submarines here in Adelaide.

And from that date onwards—