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

I'll say at the outset, whilst the previous speaker is still here, that I acknowledge the work that the previous government did in negotiating the arrangements that led to AUKUS. But thank God we had a change of government, because announcing things is one thing but delivering, particularly at the pace at which we are and the care with which we're doing it, is another thing entirely. But, overall, I am bipartisan when it comes to defence issues, such as caring for our veterans, those who have served us, and getting after this challenge—this enormous national project to defend our land and our interests.

The Australia, United Kingdom and United States—AUKUS—security partnership is committed to promoting a free, open, secure and stable Indo-Pacific region. The first major AUKUS initiative, our acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear propelled submarines will enhance Australia's capacity to defend itself and our national interests. With the passage of the Defence Legislation Amendment (Naval Nuclear Propulsion) Act 2023, the government has already taken the first major step towards establishing that legislative framework for the safe and efficient delivery of that really important capability for our nation.

With the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023, introduced into parliament on 6 November 2023, the Australian government continues with that considered phased approach to building an enduring legislative and regulatory framework for responsible nuclear stewardship. The bill enables the establishment of a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework to ensure nuclear safety within Australia's nuclear powered submarine enterprise and capability life cycle. Can I say from the outset how good it was to be at HMAS Stirling last week or the week before to not only tour the USS Hawaii, which is a Virginia class submarine, the same as what we'll be getting, but also to go aboard and talk to the captain and crew of the HMAS Collins.

From the outset, I just want to say how good our people are. Our submariners are among the best in the world. In fact, as we start to do submarine courses in the UK and the US, not only are we coming top five of the students; we've had one top a course in the UK and one Australian submariner top a course in the US. That's how good our people are. To any young Australians listening or to their parents or their grandparents, can I say that we need great young Australians to be getting into the submarine game, and you will have a great career for as long as you want.

This particular legislation that we're speaking to today reflects the Australian government's recognition of the need to protect the health and safety of our people and the environment from any harmful effects, implement proper operating conditions for regulated activities, prevent accidents and mitigate the consequences of accidents should they occur, unlikely as they are. A little while ago, I visited the US submarine base in Groton, Connecticut and had a tour of the base there. They haven't had an incident. Kayakers were just going down the river, enjoying getting out into the beautiful environment there in the same way that they do at HMAS Stirling and the same way they do in Adelaide, where we'll build this fantastic capability for the future security of our nation. This bill is part of the legislative framework that underpins that capability and our ability to deter at a distance anyone who would seek to do any harm to Australia or our interests.

The bill was introduced to parliament alongside the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023, which will enable the transition of any licences issued by the CEO of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. This legislation does not in any way—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11:04 to 11:14

It's good to be able to continue a contribution on the legislative framework around the nuclear propelled submarine capacity and capability that we're delivering. In the spirit of bipartisanship, I just want to acknowledge the member for Lindsay—she and I are co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of the United States—and also acknowledge the member for Riverina's work. In this important week when we've handed down the report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, I acknowledge his work in that space in previous years.

I was speaking about the new regulator that will be called the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator, ANNPSR, within the Defence portfolio but independent of the Defence chain of command. That regulator will, of course, draw on the extensive experience of the United States and the United Kingdom to deliver international best practice in nuclear safety. I was talking about Sub Base Groton in Connecticut earlier. Indeed, for 60 years, the UK and the US have operated more than 500 nuclear naval reactors that have collectively travelled more than 240 million kilometres around our globe without a single radiological incident. That should be reassuring to Australians. UK and US nuclear-powered submarines have never experienced a reactor accident or release of radioactive material that has had an adverse effect on human health or the quality of the environment, so that proven experience offered by the UK and US programs over decades will support Australia in becoming a world leader in nuclear stewardship. Our AUKUS partners set the standard in nuclear safety and radiological protection of the nuclear powered submarine enterprise, so that standard will inform our sovereign approach to nuclear safety and radiological protection, including how nuclear safety is regulated within the nuclear powered submarine enterprise.

I spoke earlier about the deterrence effect and why this capability is so important for the future of our nations. It is important to remind ourselves of what is at stake and why we are embarking on this ambitious project for our nation. Strategically, the AUKUS partnership makes Australia safer from coercion at a distance by putting at risk long-range strike capabilities that would threaten our country in a crisis. The near unlimited range of Virginia class submarines—like the USS Hawaii, which I visited last week in Perth—and, later, of SSN-AUKUS submarines will mean more time on station for our submarines than with the conventional boats like the Collins class that we currently have. Collins will play an important role as we transition to nuclear propelled capability, but the Virginia class and then the AUKUS class will be able to cover a much wider patrol area in our northern and eastern arcs for longer. When you represent a place like Darwin, as I'm so proud to do, you realise that the Indo-Pacific contains two enormous bodies of water: the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Also, south of Australia we obviously have the Southern Ocean. The near unlimited range means that we can be anywhere and we can be on station for a lot longer.

Why is this important? It puts question marks in any adversary's mind, because they don't know, as I said, where we are. Deterring any potential adversary—and we always have to be prepared for that; that's our duty and our solemn responsibility—means that if they attempt to sever our sea lines of communication or blockade our ports—and obviously, for us as a trading nation, it is so essential that our ports remain open—or if they try to encircle us strategically, project force against us through our northern approaches or sever our connections, as happened in World War II—if an adversary tries to sever our connection to the continental US then this capability becomes so important—all such aggressive courses of action would be much more likely to fail with our nuclear propelled submarines lurking within striking distance. An adversary would be much less likely to be tempted to use them against us in a war. The odds would be stacked a lot higher against them. Their ships would be vulnerable to being sunk while they staged any assault or attempt to cut us off. Their submarines would be liable to being stalked and destroyed by the best submariners in the world. Their forces couldn't sail towards Australia free of fear that they might be next to go to the bottom of one of those oceans.

All Australian warships, including our submarines, are Australian sovereign assets. This point of sovereignty is another one that people having a go at AUKUS like to parrot. Our sovereign assets, our submarines, like our warships, will be commanded by Australian officers and be under the sovereign control of the Australian government. We, the Australian government, alone will determine the deployment of our armed forces on conditions of our duty, in close cooperation with our allies and partners. This parliament, and this parliament alone, will provide the budgetary and legislative oversight, as we are beginning with this legislation, that will oversight Australia's use of force.

AUKUS submarines are undoubtedly trilateral in origin. They're initially made in the UK—this is the SSN-AUKUS—with British and US technology, a collaboration with our great partners and allies. Let us be clear: we could not be doing this and having this awesome capability without our partners, but, as I said, it will be a sovereign capability, built and directed by Australians. This bill advances that great project.

I think it is important also for those listening to appreciate and understand that this collaboration is not new. For decades we have had Australian submariners on UK boats. For decades we have had Australian submariners on US boats and vice versa. Even on the Collins submarine, our current capability, which is a deterrent, just not as good a deterrent for the reasons I outlined earlier, we have the same weapon operating system and conventional weapons. So we are going to be able to transition this capability. We are going to be able to build this sovereign capability in the future in Adelaide as well. That will be a great thing for our nation. I'm sure that, working together across the parliament, we can get the facts out there about AUKUS and how important it is to the future of our nation and how it's in the best interests of the Australian people.

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