Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Over the next two decades, through the white paper, we will ensure that the Australian Defence Force is able to undergo the significant change it needs to manage the strategic challenges that confront our nation—and, at the same time, we will of course seize opportunities that are available to us. We have remediated what have been cumulative effects of prolonged underinvestment in a number of aspects of defence over many years. We have restored the very important proper alignment of defence strategy, defence capability and defence resourcing first of all, and we have underpinned that with a comprehensive force structure review and external cost assurance processes not produced before for a defence white paper.

As I have said, our plans for naval modernisation, in particular, are at the heart of our very significant investment in defence capabilities. In commencing a continuous build—particularly of surface ships—which will secure thousands of Australian jobs, we are taking a very important step for Australian industry. (Time expired)