Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1)recognises that:

(a)the Government is investing in significant new capabilities for the Australian Defence Force (ADF);

(b)these capabilities include but are not limited to the acquisition of Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft, Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, 58 more Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters and two new Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft; and

(c)the former Government’s cuts to Defence funding led to 119 projects being delayed, 43 degraded and 8 cancelled; and

(2)notes the importance of providing our ADF personnel the equipment and capabilities they need to perform their roles.

As I have said many times in this place, the men and women of the Australian Defence Force make incredible sacrifices in the interests of our country. Members of the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force willingly take on risks and burdens that no other employee in any other workforce sector would ever have to deal with—frequent relocations, long periods away from home, physically gruelling work and of course the risks that come with combat operations. Because they give so much for Australia, because they sign up knowing they may be called upon to put their lives on the line, we owe them a duty.

A big part of that duty is making sure they have the tools and equipment they need to do the job. In the last term of government, the Labor Party spectacularly failed in this area, treating Defence as a piggy bank that they could break open again and again to cover up their general economic mismanagement. They cut $16 billion from the portfolio, sending Defence spending to its lowest level since 1938. As a direct consequence of that, 119 Defence projects were delayed, 43 were reduced and eight were cancelled completely. I am pleased to note that, since the coalition government came to office in 2013, the men and women of the Defence Force are once again getting the equipment they need to do their jobs. Over the 2015-16 period, $7.2 billion is being invested in Defence. This is great news for our Defence Force.

The coalition government is committed to a continuous shipbuilding program and the building of future frigates in Australia. This is in contrast to the Labor Party, who sat on their hands and did nothing for four years after a new submarine was listed in the 2009 Defence white paper. The coalition government has brought forward the Future Frigate program by three years and the offshore patrol vessels by two years. These two measures alone will sustain around a thousand jobs in the short term and guarantee around 2,500 shipbuilding jobs over the longer term. Not only is this good news for our Navy, providing them with the state-of-the-art vessels they need when they need them, this is good for our economy. By committing to a continuous build process, we have provided investment surety to investors and workers in our national shipbuilding industry. It is worth noting that the last time a Labor government commissioned a major naval vessel in an Australian shipyard, the Berlin Wall was still standing. This is proof that only under a coalition government do our ADF capabilities prosper.

Australian defence capabilities are being upgraded by this government. The coalition government announced earlier this year the acquisition of an additional two Boeing C-17A Globemaster aircraft, taking the total size of that fleet from six to eight. This is important because the C-17s are known for their assistance not only in Operation Queensland Flood Assist but in Operation Christchurch Assist and in Operation Bring Them Home—just to name a few. Other capabilities that the coalition government has invested in include two additional KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft, an additional eight joint strike fighter aircraft—which are due for delivery in 2018—and eight P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, as well as the acquisition of the highly capable Triton unmanned aerial vehicle. Most recently, Prime Minister Turnbull, along with Defence Minister Payne, announced a $1.3 billion agreement for 1,100 locally built Hawkei protected military vehicles to be manufactured in Bendigo—I note the member for Bendigo was here earlier. This long-term investment helps further secure the industry in Australia.

Just as our soldiers, sailors and airmen will look after this equipment, this government is looking after our Defence personnel. I am proud to stand here as a member of the coalition government which is delivering for our nation and for the men and women of our armed forces. Madam Deputy Speaker Prentice, I know that you are also a very strong advocate for our Defence Force and that your son is a member of the Defence Force. Thank you very much.

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