Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Will the government provide bipartisan support for Australia's Future Submarine project, our largest ever Defence procurement project, and promise to build, maintain and sustain our new submarine fleet in Australia, or is the government still set on delivering the Prime Minister's captain's pick to have our submarines built in Japan?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was surprised to learn today of the announcement by the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Defence spokesman in relation to Labor's plan, during which time I noted that the Leader of the Opposition boldly claimed that no-one was calling for an open tender in relation to this particular project, despite—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was me.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Exactly. No-one was, despite the fact—and he has now just admitted it—that the shadow minister himself had called for an open tender not once, not twice but three times. So the Labor Party comes to this having done nothing on the submarine program for six years whilst in office. They now want a process which would take another five years before we come to a landing in relation to this issue.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on direct relevance to the question that was asked, which was about a statement of government support for Australia's Future Submarine project, particularly building, maintaining and sustaining. It is a point of order on direct relevance to the question asked.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Moore. The minister has barely gone through half his answer.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I had just done was contextualise the situation, bringing us up to date with where we are now. The government's position is very clear: the safety and security of our citizens has to be the No. 1 priority. So the government is determined to get the best submarine capability available and the best value for money for taxpayers through a competitive evaluation process. We are not going to prejudge what that is, and what the Labor Party is saying is: 'We don't care what the Defence capacity is. We don't care what the cost is.'

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Moore, do you have a point of order?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was your policy.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, you have your colleague on her feet.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I again rise on a point of order on direct relevance to the question that was asked. It was about bipartisan support to build, maintain and sustain submarines in Australia.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the minister was answering it by way of saying that the government will not commit. But the minister has 15 seconds left to answer the question.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The simple fact is, no matter what, there will be more submarines, and that means more jobs for South Australia under whatever methodology the government adopts for the acquisition of our submarine fleet. (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the government provide bipartisan support for a proper competitive tender process with a funded definition study to ensure that Australia secures a future submarine fleet that meets Australia's Defence requirements at the most competitive price for taxpayers, or is the government still committed to your sham evaluation process designed only to deliver the Prime Minister's captain's pick, which your entire National Security Committee ticked off? (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just as the shadow minister just then went way over time with his question, so Labor went way over time in putting pencil to paper. It took them six years of not even getting pencil to paper for the submarine program. Let that not be forgotten. Now the shadow minister has the audacity to come into this place and say, 'Please join us in a bipartisan manner,' when for six years you had misled the Australian people about where you had got to with the submarine program.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You said you would build 12 in Adelaide.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely nowhere did they get with their submarine program in six years, despite media release after media release. Now they say, 'Trust us and join us in a bipartisan approach.' Your actions speak louder than your words—or should I say your inactions speak a lot louder than your words. (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the government provide bipartisan support for Sweden to join Japan, Germany and France in the procurement process so that the most capable submarine designers are all competing for the work, or is the government still committed to excluding this experienced builder so that the Prime Minister can deliver his captain's pick to Japan? It is your government that promised to build 12 submarines in Adelaide before the last election. (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, Senator Conroy is overtime, exactly like Labor did with the submarine program. They have no understanding of time limits and the need to get this project underway as soon as possible. We have already indicated our attitude in relation to Sweden, and it really does seem interesting, does it not, that any mention of Japan is met with howls of derision. Yet they seem to champion the cause of Sweden. One wonders why they have this approach of 'Japan bad; Sweden good.' I wonder what might motivate that sort of attitude. It does not reflect well on the Australian Labor Party. (Time expired)