Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. Will the minister outline to the House how the government's investment in the defence industry will generate thousands of jobs for hardworking Australians, create a stronger economy and ensure our national security? How will the great state of Queensland benefit from the largest military build-up in our peacetime history?

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

I thank the member for Fisher for his question. The government is not just focusing on jobs and investment and protecting the environment in the Galilee Basin by supporting the Carmichael mine, unlike the divided rabble we see on the other side of the House. Queensland is also one of the big winners from the $200 billion build-up of our military capability over the next 10 years. Queensland has some of the most significant assets that will benefit from that military capability, in stark contrast with when Labor was in office and reduced spending to 1.56 per cent of GDP, the lowest level since 1938—

Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was record spending.

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

You keep believing that, Mike. It was the lowest since 1938. A couple of weeks ago—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

The member for Moreton is warned.

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

I visited HeliMods on the Sunshine Coast, in the electorate of the member for Fisher. It has just won the contract to build aircraft cabin wet decks for Navy helicopters. It is just one of the businesses on the Sunshine Coast that are benefiting because of the government's commitment to military capability.

I was also in the electorate of the member for Ryan, at the Gallipoli Barracks, where I welcomed the first delivery of the Rheinmetall trucks and trailers from Haulmark Trailers in Queensland, a $3½ billion project generating 110 jobs for Queenslanders. And of course Rockhampton and Townsville, in Central Queensland, are the big winners from a $2.25 billion investment in the massive expansion of training up there on the Central Coast and North Queensland. And the Amberley air base is receiving a $720 million redevelopment. These are decisions that were never made in six years by the previous government—$720 million, creating 500 jobs in the construction and development of the Amberley air base in Queensland.

And the member for Leichhardt: his city is the big winner from this massive build-up in military capability. In Leichhardt, Cairns is our major North Queensland base for the sustainment and maintenance of the Pacific patrol vessels as well as the Armidale-class patrol boats that they are doing right now. He won for his electorate a $24 million investment in marine infrastructure in Cairns that will transform the Cairns port into one of the most modern sustainment and maintenance ports in the Southern Hemisphere. There is also the Joint Strike Fighter. Ferra Engineering is just one of the companies that has won an $80 million contract for the Joint Strike Fighter program, employing 55 Queenslanders. None of it would have happened without our government being in power. It never happened under the Labor Party.