Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the submarine contract debacle continues, we now have all three contenders—and that includes Japan—saying that they can build the submarines in Australia. The coalition's rhetoric for the last two years that it would be too expensive and that Australia did not have the capability to build the submarines here has been totally discredited and exposed as politically driven spin. Not only has the coalition wasted the best part of two years through this farce; it has cost a former defence minister his job and was critical to Prime Minister Abbott losing his. We also had the member for Boothby's unexpected retirement. Given that in South Australia his seat and those of all federal Liberals were at risk, people will draw their own conclusions about how the submarine issue has been playing out in South Australia.

The fact remains that, two years later, we still do not have a contract, we still do not know when the work will commence, we still do not know how much of each submarine will be built in Australia and we still do not know how many submarines will be built. Prior to the last federal election, South Australians were promised 12 submarines, and that is what they expect. Importantly, it is in Australia's national security interest to build 12 submarines and to build them in Australia. Australians do not want the issue dragged out further. They do not want more spin. They just want the government to get on with it, do the right thing and honour their election promise.