Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. Will the minister update the House on how the Joint Strike Fighter program provides opportunities to grow Australia's defence industry as part of our national economic plan that we proposed at the July election?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bonner for his question and I ask that the member withdraw the statement he just made across the chamber to me which I find very offensive.

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

The minister will resume his seat. Did the member for McEwen make an unparliamentary remark?

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

Sorry; I didn't understand that.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. That was the easy bit.

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

Okay. The Leader of the House has the call.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party has sunk very low, unfortunately, when they make someone like the member for McEwen the Deputy Speaker of the parliament. In any event, let's return to the member for Bonner's question, which is about the Joint Strike Fighter program. The Joint Strike Fighter program is already delivering great opportunities for the Australian defence industry. It has already ensured $800 million worth of contracts for Australian businesses, and we expect that that will rise to between $2 billion and $2½ billion by 2023.

Australia is a partner in the Joint Strike Fighter program thank to the foresight of the previous Howard government. It is not just a customer in the Joint Strike Fighter program, and that means that Australian businesses get to benefit materially from supplying this program—businesses like Ferra Engineering in the member for Bonner's electorate, which are the providers for the weapons adapters, which is the mechanism which attaches the rockets on the Joint Strike Fighter to the plane itself. Ferra Engineering is the sole provider of these weapons adapters around the world, which means it will supply all 3,000 Joint Strike Fighters with this particular product. This is leading to jobs, growth and investment not just in Ferra Engineering but, of course, all around Australia in the 30-plus businesses that are suppliers for the Joint Strike Fighter program.

The maintenance and sustainment of the Joint Strike Fighter program is another opportunity for Australia to benefit materially and economically. We have already won the rights to be the regional hub for Asia for the maintenance and sustainment of the frames and engines for the Joint Strike Fighter, and last week I went to Washington to press our case for Australia to be the regional hub for the Joint Strike Fighter maintenance and sustainment of componentry—things like avionics, landing gear and so on. This is worth tremendous revenue to Australia. I met with Ash Carter, the Secretary of Defense; the Frank Kendall, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; and Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan, who is the decision-maker in this particular program. I feel very helpful that we will be able to be the regional hub for the maintenance and sustainment of the Joint Strike Fighter.

This is the government delivering on its election commitments. We are getting on with the job of our national economic plan. Unlike the Labor Party, who are mired in ideology and politics, we on this side of the House are getting on with the job—in this case in defence industry, providing jobs, growth, investment and infrastructure.