Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

That was going to be my next question. It shows that the minister and I have been doing too much together—he is predicting what I am about to ask him. I thank the minister for answering the question about the capability gap.

I will make a point in relation to competitive evaluation processes and what occurred under the previous Labor government. The competitive evaluation process is not something that is understood by Defence and the military, because it was a new process imagined out of, essentially, a leadership dispute within the government party room in order to deal with certain circumstances. The reality is that the procurement process for the submarines has left a lot to be desired, and a feature of this government's procurement has been delay. We have consistently seen key procurement decisions delayed under this government. The integrated investment plan, which the minister speaks of, is far less detailed than the Defence Capability Plan, which was in place under Labor. Under this government, the time lines in the DCP for a number of key procurements have slipped.

I want to ask some further questions about the submarines. The minister has indicated that 90 per cent is not his figure. I am keen to understand exactly what his figure is, then, in relation to the expected percentage of Australian build in the submarines. This is a critical matter for building Australian capability and, indeed, building an Australian defence industry. The supply chains that are put in place for the submarines will provide significant opportunity in Australia, or at least they have the potential to do that if there is a significant component of Australian build within the submarines. Obviously that is good in terms of jobs; it is also important in the strategic sense of building sovereign capacity. I am keen to understand that, and it is critical that the first submarines are built in Australia. I hear the minister's answer to the question—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 17:08 to 17:46

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