Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As we know, the defence of our great nation has long been one of bipartisanship in this place, although listening to the member for Boothby I'm not sure if she's as committed to that as every other member in this place is.

Earlier this year, as part of a parliamentary delegation that included the member for Fisher, I had the opportunity to spend time with members of our defence forces, and I thank the member for Fisher for placing this motion on the parliament's agenda tonight. While not agreeing with the intent of every word in this motion, I think it is always important for us to talk about support for our defence forces. I was fortunate enough to spend nine days in the Middle East with our troops. This included spending time at bases in Afghanistan with the men and women of the ADF to see firsthand the amazing work they do and learn about the equipment they use. The experience left me with a greater respect for Defence Force personnel and the incredible sacrifices they make to serve our great country.

Currently, there are 1,700 ADF personal deployed in the Middle East. Our Defence Force personnel remain actively involved in advising, assisting and training Iraqi security forces in Iraq; training and advising the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in Afghanistan; and maritime security operations throughout the region. Our troops not only do an incredible job representing our country but also are working side by side with the local forces to train and equip the Afghan army. This includes working with Afghan mentors and interpreters to better train the local army.

Above all else it was clear to see the professionalism and commitment of our serving personnel on display 24/7. Our troops are the best in the world and they are incredibly dedicated to serving our country. In our local community there are many ADF families, and I know it must be tough to be separated from loved ones whilst they serve. The reputation for the ADF extends beyond our borders to accompanying nations who also have personnel serving in the region. Members of our ADF put themselves at risk every single day, which is why it is important that we provide our troops with the best equipment available.

I note the member for Fisher also spoke about encouraging small- and medium-sized enterprises all over Australia to explore the opportunity to supply products and services for the ADF. Both of these elements will be realised if and when the government awards the Land 400 contract to Rheinmetall to build their Boxer CRV vehicle in Queensland, my home state, or more specifically in Ipswich. As newly elected Mayor Antoniolli said, Ipswich has a proud military history, with 7,500 defence workers in the city. I was very pleased to see last week the front page of our local paper, The Queensland Times, with the headline 'Ipswich declares war on unemployment'. It said that a $5 billion military contract would bring 350 jobs right across our region. Not only is the Boxer CRV an outstanding vehicle for the Defence Force to serve and protect our troops, but the project would also, as I said, bring some 300 to 400 jobs to the Ipswich region if the bid was successful whilst at the same time pumping more than $5 billion into the state's economy over the next 10 years. I was delighted to attend the announcement of this significant project alongside my state Labor colleagues, the Minister for State Development, Anthony Lynham, and the Premier of Queensland, at Archerfield Airport in July where we were treated to seeing the Boxer CRV on the airstrip.

Rheinmetall have committed to establishing an $80 million manufacturing centre in my home city of Ipswich, with products flowing not only to the Australian Army but right across the world. With news last month that, sadly, two major businesses in the region would be closing their doors, a decision to give Rheinmetall the Land 400 contract would be an announcement truly welcomed by the Ipswich community. If the LNP is serious about investing in Queensland, if this government is serious about listening, and with a record majority of members from Queensland, its federal members shouldn't be giving any more lectures—I want the government to get on with the job and choose Queensland. Companies have been selected to deliver a range of products and services right across the state to enable delivery of the Boxer CRV. I acknowledge the state government for the enormous amount of work it has done under the leadership of Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk and Minister Lyneham, who have been working so hard to attract Rheinmetall to Queensland, to make sure that this becomes a reality. The confidence that Rheinmetall is showing in Queensland is a vote of confidence in Queensland's small- and medium-sized businesses. This supports the Palaszczuk government's focus on attracting more jobs and more industry to Queensland. It is projects like these that bring invaluable jobs and opportunities to local businesses. I commend Rheinmetall and the Palaszczuk government on their ambition to bring this project to Ipswich and I look forward to seeing a positive announcement later this year.

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