Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Melbourne for his question. We support the AUKUS arrangements because it is in Australia's national interests. If you think about Australia's defence and what is required in terms of capability for an island continent located where we are in the world, then shipping is obviously a key asset. For Australia, when you look at how a country defends itself, there is no more effective way than through a submarine. If you look at what the most effective form of submarine is in terms of power—because of stealth, because of the amount of time that they can stay under the water, because of undetectability, because of the depth to which they can dive and because of how long they can stay under for—for Australia's national interests, I was convinced through proper briefings with the defence department and with defence officials that this is the correct way to go. I continue to work with Mark Hammond—the Chief of Navy—the CDF and other defence personnel. There's the work that Jonathan Mead is doing as well to ensure—

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