Trevor Evans (Brisbane, 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 the government's national defence industry project that guarantees the future security of the nation and supports our economic prosperity? How does this compare with other approaches?

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

I thank the member for Brisbane for his question. I can tell the member for Brisbane that just last month I cut steel on the first of the 54 vessels that this government has committed to building in Australia.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Well may the Labor Party laugh, because in the six years that they were in government they commissioned not one vessel, creating the very valley of death that we are seeking to ameliorate by making the decisions that we are getting on with. Just last month I cut steel—I pressed the button, Mr Speaker—at HD Plasma and Laser Cutting services on the first of 54 vessels—the Pacific patrol vessels, 21 vessels creating over 500 jobs and costing $300 million. That is just the beginning, because from the Pacific patrol vessels we go to the offshore patrol vessels, 12 vessels being built in Osborne and Henderson, costing $5 billion, and then to the future frigates, a $35 billion project creating nine vessels to be built at Osborne, and then to the 12 submarines, a $50 billion project creating thousands of jobs.

Opposition members interjecting—

Labor think it is hilarious. In the six years they were in government they managed to reduce spending on defence to 1.56 per cent of GDP. The last year in which a government in Australia managed to achieve that was 1938, when the government of the time was part of the appeasement movement around the world. That is what Labor managed to do. Labor managed to reduce our spending to 1.56 per cent.

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

You're a liar!

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

Sadly, for the member for Wakefield, you have to face the reality of it. I would not even bother to ask you to withdraw, because you have no credibility—none—and you never have. This government's decisions in defence industry mean that we will have 5,000 new direct jobs in naval shipbuilding alone and a further 20,000 indirect jobs, driving growth, investment, new businesses and new offices being set up across Australia. Under Labor, the contrast could not be more appalling: 119 projects delayed, 49 projects reduced and eight projects cancelled altogether. That is the record of the Labor Party in defence. Ours is proud; they should be ashamed of theirs.