Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This motion does get one thing right, and that is that we are indeed facing the most challenging strategic circumstances since the Second World War. That's one thing the member for Herbert got right in his motion. What it completely misses is that you don't defend our national interest or support our domestic defence industry with stunts and press releases, but that's exactly what those opposite did when they were in government for 10 years. You do not build a viable defence industry by announcing projects and then not funding them, by letting defence projects run off the rails or by treating the portfolio like a prize to reward your political mates, but that's exactly what those opposite did when in government. They racked up $42 billion worth of spending commitments without adding a single dollar to the defence budget. It beggars belief. They let 28 major defence projects run cumulatively more than 97 years late. They had 23 defence ministers—even the member for Herbert will get a go—and assistant ministers in the Defence portfolio in nine years. That's a lot: 23 in nine years.

What supports a viable local defence industry is hard work—working methodically to get our strategic settings right, matching it with viable defence capability plans, backing it up with real money and having a practical plan to give Australian defence industry and workers a go. That's exactly what our government has done, and the facts back it up. The ABS has said that in 2022-23, the first year of this government, Australian defence industry grew by over four per cent and provided $10.6 billion to the Australian economy. The number of people employed in defence industry also grew by six per cent, meaning that, in totality, defence industry now supports over 100,000 jobs. We have signed the single largest defence export in Australia's history, exporting over 100 Australian built Boxer vehicles that are valued at $3.1 billion and securing over 600 direct jobs in Queensland alone. That's an example of how we're creating a future made in Australia. Meanwhile those opposite tried to undermine this deal with a media release claiming it was dead—shame.

We have brought forward the delivery of Army's landing craft medium by a number of years so they start arriving from 2026. That's an example of how we're showing that we understand the strategic circumstances required for bringing forward such projects. We've also brought forward delivery of Army's landing craft heavy from the mid-2030s to 2028. We've announced more investment in Australian industry to further develop Ghost Bat, the first military combat aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years. That's another significant thing that we've done.

We've also delivered a practical, clear and focused plan to support Australian defence industry and workers. On 29 February, the Minister for Defence Industry launched the Defence Industry Development Strategy. It's always good to have a strategy. This critical document outlines the strategic rationale for a sovereign defence industrial base and clearly outlines the actions the government will take to grow the industrial base that we need. The DIDS outlines a total investment of $183.8 million in funding for defence industry grants programs and provides clarity on the priority areas for defence to a level that is actually meaningful for industry. We're also making it much easier for business to work with defence. A critical element of this is procurement reform. By speeding up procurement processes, we not only make it easier for industry to work with defence but we also make it more cost effective. Do you know what else provides certainty for defence industry? Telling industry there is $330 billion for defence capability investment, which we have done in the recently released 2024 Integrated Investment Program, or IIP. This represents an additional $5.7 billion of investment over the next four years and $50.3 billion over the next decade.

We are committed to growing our defence industry while those opposite have been committed only to relentless negativity about what is clearly an effective and always growing approach that we have to funding our defence capability. Those opposite will see that, and they'll see that, as we've racked up budget surpluses, we've been able to put additional funds into capability, which those opposite could never do. (Time expired)

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