Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister join with Labor and commit to conducting a competitive tender process for building, maintaining and sustaining future submarines in Australia, including a funded definition study and commencing with the world's most prominent and relevant submarine designers from Germany, France, Japan and Sweden?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reality is that Labor has a complete fantasy in relation to defence. For six long years, they sat on this side of the House as the government of Australia and did absolutely nothing! Absolutely nothing!

And on top of that, what does the Leader of the Opposition now propose? The Leader of the Opposition proposes a tender which, on the advice of Defence, would take four to five years. So what they are saying—what the Labor Party is saying—is that they will risk the security and the defence of this country—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In the question, the Prime Minister—now, the defence minister—was asked to refer to the government's policy. That is what the question was about—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Watson did not even hear the question that was asked, and he was sitting next to the questioner!

The reality is that if we were to adopt what the Leader of the Opposition is proposing, we would risk the future security and defence of this country in a decade's time. That is what we would do. We are not prepared to do that. We are not going to engage in their fantasy!