Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Herbert for his question and for his service to our country, and I also note his passion for defence industry in this country. The Morrison government has a strong record of identifying, investing in and delivering what makes and keeps Australians safe at home and abroad. It's important to provide certainty to our defence industry in order to create jobs, to create those defence industry opportunities and, at the same time, to keep Australians safe. We're very proud that, because of our government's strong economic management, we are now restoring defence spending to two per cent of GDP, reversing the significant decline that the nation experienced under Labor. We will achieve the two per cent of GDP in the 2020-21 period, which is three years before predicted. Of course, this is due to the good economic management of those sitting on this side.

I've been asked about alternative policies. Under Labor, defence was an unacceptable casualty of the inability of those opposite to manage money. In six years, Labor did not commission a single Australian built ship. There are many new members on this side of the House and on the other side of the House and they may have thought that they misheard me, so I think it's worth repeating that, in six years, Labor did not commission a single Australian built ship. By contrast, the Morrison government will build 57 vessels in Australia, built in Australia by 15,000 Australian workers using Australian steel.

In 2012-13 Labor slashed the defence budget by over 10 per cent in real terms, causing defence investment to fall to its lowest level since World War II. Because of Labor's panic and crisis, Labor cut $18 billion from the defence budget whilst they were in government. Labor's cuts caused Australia's defence industry to cut thousands of Australian jobs and, at the same time, place our defence capability at risk.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

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