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

The AUKUS arrangements also have within them pillar II, and what that's about is the capacity for us to lift up our capacity for advanced manufacturing, for really the most high-tech manufacturing that you can have. One of the things about the defence industry is that there are spin-offs as well. I'm very committed to a future made in Australia. That's why the National Reconstruction Fund, for example, has a component in it about innovation for defence industries. Working with the United States, which is the most advanced in terms of, obviously, the largest military in the world, with the defence industries that they have, there are already Australian companies, such as Austal, for example, that are located there in the United States—a fantastic operation, of course, based in Western Australia primarily. That will bring great benefit to Australia.

With regard to the support for the AUKUS arrangements in the United States and the UK, I've met with over 100 congresspeople and senators in the United States. There was overwhelming support from both Republican and Democrat people who are elected representatives. I have raised this issue in the discussions I've had with President Trump as well, and he has expressed his support, as, of course, has Prime Minister Starmer in the United Kingdom, who I had a talk with less than two weeks ago. So we will continue to put in place these arrangements because it is in Australia's national interest, and I'm confident that an important part of the defence of this country is the AUKUS arrangements.

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