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

The very short answer for Senator Bernardi is no. It is not possible now, but it was if the infrastructure at the Adelaide shipyard had been upgraded when Labor was told in 2007, 2010 and 2013 that that was what was required. Their own 2013 industry skills plan stated that it was not possible to be the supply ships here unless the infrastructure was upgraded. But they did not make that call when they were in government; they did nothing, and it was all too late. They were told in 2007, in 2010 and again in 2013.

The member for Wakefield said yesterday: 'We were never going to invest the money in ASC until the AWDs were finished.' That is very different from what others opposite have said. They are all over the place on this. If that is true, how was Labor ever going to be able to build the replacement supply ships in Adelaide given all three AWDs are still under construction under Labor today? Under their mystery plan, construction would not have begun until the mid-2020s. (Time expired)