Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023 and the associated Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. This legislation represents the latest of the many legislative reforms required to implement the AUKUS security arrangements between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. This legislation is supported by the coalition, but I do have to take issue with one thing that the member for Blair just said. I was in the chamber when he said this. He said that there had been a 'decade of inaction' by the coalition government on defence issues. I find that a very difficult statement to comprehend in light of the fact that it was the former coalition government that initially signed the government up to the AUKUS arrangement. So I do commend the federal government for continuing the work that was initiated by the former coalition government on the AUKUS partnership for the defence and national security of Australia.

It is important, given where we are located within the world, down in the South Pacific, that we have this trilateral arrangement with both the United Kingdom and the United States. We have very strong ties both historically and militarily with both of these nations. They are important friends. They have been in the past. The fact that both the United Kingdom government and the United States government signed up to this arrangement shows the high regard in which they both view Australia and similarly the high regard in which we view our relationship with both of their countries. In the times in which we live, the United Kingdom and the United States are two very important democracies, like Australia, and that is therefore equally a very important point to make in the context of this arrangement.

When this arrangement was put in place and signed, it was said that it was done to ensure the future defence and national security of Australia. We know that a government's most important priority is the safety and security of its citizens. If we look back to the history of the AUKUS arrangement, it was announced in September 2021 to promote 'a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable'. In the joint statement that was released by Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom in March last year, it was said:

For more than a century, our three nations have stood shoulder to shoulder, along with other allies and partners, to help sustain peace, stability, and prosperity around the world, including in the Indo-Pacific. We believe in a world that protects freedom and respects human rights, the rule of law, the independence of sovereign states, and the rules-based international order. The steps we are announcing today will help us to advance these mutually beneficial objectives in the decades to come.

The first major initiative of AUKUS was a historic trilateral decision to support Australia acquiring conventionally armed nuclear powered submarines. This involves the manufacture of at least three—maybe five—nuclear powered submarines, and these are to be built in Adelaide. I particularly commend this as it will enhance and build upon the nuclear technology that Australia has already developed for many years in our country. I'm very proud to say that in my electorate I have a nuclear reactor which has enabled many technological advancements to be made in nuclear medicine. I think it is very important that we'll now be harnessing nuclear technology for our future defence capabilities.

I'll just take this place briefly through when the AUKUS nuclear powered submarine pathway was outlined. Particularly in relation to this legislation, it said that Australia must be 'sovereign ready' before it can operate a nuclear powered submarine. This means that Australia must achieve the capacity to be the sovereign owner, operator, maintainer and regulator of this very important capability. But there are, of course, a series of steps that will need to be taken, primarily through the next decade, and they'll be taken with the support of the United States and the United Kingdom to achieve this capability as soon as possible. It is most certainly in the best interests of our nation that we see AUKUS succeed. As part of the coalition, I am committed to moving forward and seeing this through to its completion. Australia has set a target date for achieving the 'sovereign ready' milestone in the early 2030s. Therefore, speed on this legislation is important.

In that regard I note that in March of last year Prime Minister Albanese jointly announced with his counterparts—the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and the US President, Joe Biden—an identified pathway for Australia to acquire the submarines at the earliest possible date. I will now set out that pathway. In 2023, Australian military and civilian personnel were embedded in the UK and US nuclear powered submarines program, and there started to be increased visits by the US nuclear powered submarines to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. From 2022, we saw the commencement of Australian shipyard design and construction. In the late 2020s, it's proposed that construction of AUKUS nuclear powered submarines will commence. From 2026, UK nuclear powered submarines will commence regular visits to HMAS Stirling. From 2027 to 2032, the Submarine Rotational Force-West will commence, and it will involve one Royal Navy and up to four US Navy nuclear powered submarines conducting rotations from HMAS Stirling. So you can see that there is very much trilateral support for this, not just from having signed a document but also on the ground. We'll be utilising expertise that has been developed by our UK and US friends. These bills are a very important step in the giant leap that we must now take towards becoming a nation that can operate nuclear submarines.

I'll turn briefly to the particulars of the legislation. It essentially establishes a new regulator, the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator. That regulator would be able to grant Australian naval nuclear power safety licences to Commonwealth related persons for a series of regulated activities in designated zones. The regulator will also have a series of compliance and enforcement powers. It will sit within the Department of Defence, which is appropriate. I note that the Greens have some issue with that, but I think that the Greens should listen to the two major parties on anything Defence related. Also, the Minister for Defence will be able to give the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator directions as necessary in the interests of national security and in the event of an emergency.

The regulator will broadly be responsible for three main areas: it will be granting the nuclear power safety licences; it'll be responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with nuclear safety duties; and it will also be responsible for promoting nuclear safety of AUKUS submarine related activities. These are all roles that are entirely appropriate when we are moving into a new world as we are, and it is very important that this is done by an appropriate regulator.

To conclude, this is very important legislation. It builds on an important relationship for Australia. It recognises that the UK and the US have important capabilities that both of those countries have developed, and those countries are interested in and very supportive of Australia also building its capacity with nuclear powered submarines. It reinforces the importance of our strategic relationship with both the United States and the United Kingdom and builds on the friendship that our three countries have developed over centuries. For all of those reasons, I commend this bill to the House.

See this speech in context