Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence. Will the minister update the House on the government's plan to achieve a continuous build strategy for naval surface ships, including the future frigates, and what that means for my home state of South Australia?

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

Mr Speaker, at the outset, as an electoral neighbour and colleague, I congratulate you on your elevation to the Speakership of this House. I thank the member for Hindmarsh for his question. Indeed, it was a delight to be with him in his electorate of Hindmarsh and to see the strong representation that he makes on behalf of the constituents of Hindmarsh.

As the member indicated in his question, last week the government made an historic announcement. That announcement, for the first time since the Federation of the Commonwealth of Australia, was a commitment to have a continuous naval shipbuilding industry in Australia. That is good news for Defence, industry and workers. It is good news for Defence, as the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, said, as it provides certainty for planning not just within Navy but within the Australian defence forces. It is good news for industry. As the head of Austal shipping, Andrew Bellamy, said, this marks a transformative change for naval shipbuilding in Australia. Of course, it is good news for workers, including those in the honourable member's electorate of Hindmarsh. Indeed, the South Australian Premier, Mr Weatherill, said it creates jobs that workers in South Australia and around the nation want. So it is good news for our Defence, industry and workers.

Importantly, this reverses Labor's approach. The reality is that the Labor Party in government had abandoned a naval shipbuilding industry in Australia. They had abandoned it.

Opposition members: That's rubbish!

The honourable members opposite interject, 'That's rubbish.' Then why didn't they order one single naval vessel in six years in office from an Australian shipyard?

Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member should be directly relevant to the question. The question did not canvass alternative propositions. The question was about the government—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. I will rule on the point of order. The minister was asked a very specific question about shipbuilding. He is being relevant and he is entitled to range in the way he is. He has not moved off the topic of the question. I am going to call the minister and hear the rest of his answer.

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

I will repeat: in six years in government the Labor Party did not order one single vessel from an Australian shipyard for the Australian Navy—not one! That was their neglect of shipbuilding in Australia.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. Member for Wakefield, this cannot be a point of order on relevance. There can be only one asked within an answer.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, Mr Speaker, I have been trying to turn over a new leaf.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat.

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

Indeed, they ignored the advice from the Department of Defence that they needed to make a decision by 2011 to buy future ships for Australia, leaving a potential capacity gap in the future. Indeed, the member for Lilley used Defence's budget as the government's ATM, ripping some $16 billion from the Defence budget in Australia. That is the record of the Labor Party. So what are we doing? We have brought forward the offshore patrol vessels to 2018. We are bringing forward the construction of future frigates to 2020. We are going to continually build ships in Australia, which is good for our defence, good for our industry and good for the workers of Australia.