Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Barely a day passes in Western Australia when readers of the daily paper are not faced with a full page of Liberal propaganda that is going some significant way to improving the revenue of the West Australian. It started some weeks back with the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann, reviving some brilliant eighties retro graphics to convey the assertion that WA Liberal cabinet ministers were actually achieving something for Western Australians. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms Bishop, has also authorised a few full page ads and today, the Minister for Employment, Senator Cash, has joined in. I look forward to the WA based Minister for Social Services, the member for Pearce, joining the campaign—as he sure needs to, given how precarious his hold is on the seat of Pearce.

Former WA Liberal MLAs, who recently lost their seats in the March state election—and there were many of them—might reasonably ask, 'Where was this Liberal ministerial passion for full page colour campaign ads during the state election?' Where was it? It was nowhere to be seen, but now here we are. The graphics show WA with a big 50 per cent in the middle of the map of Western Australia. It is not 50 per cent of the government commitment and spend of the naval shipbuilding plan they are talking about. That would be $44 billion of the $89 billion. What the map—titled, 'Securing WA's role as a leading shipbuilding state'—and the 50 per cent indicates is that WA is one of two key naval shipbuilding states. Well, what genius comes up with this! They are clearly trying to mislead Western Australians to think that this Liberal government is spending half of its naval shipbuilding money in Western Australia, whereas, in fact, it is just saying we are just one of two places that build ships in this country. I would welcome $44 billion for shipbuilding in Western Australia, but that is not what is happening. None of this stellar Liberal eighties inspired graphics that are strewn through the West Australian newspapers these days can hide the truth. WA gets $3 billion of the $89 billion for the naval shipbuilding plan. That is 3.4 per cent—a long way from 50 per cent. It enables shipbuilding infrastructure. And $100 million of $1.2 billion is about 8.5 per cent.

The $100 million for shipbuilding infrastructure is a case of third time unlucky for WA's naval shipbuilding industry. This naval shipbuilding plan delivers a kick in the guts for industry along the Kwinana strip, which has been the driving force of the Western Australia and economy since the 1950s. It is a kick in the guts for the skilled workers who live in my electorate Brand. The plan has delivered a disappointing rehash of a $100 million announcement for WA shipyard infrastructure. It is a rehash; it was first mentioned in June, then again in March and now there is this plan. These WA Liberal ministers have given up on Western Australia, and Western Australians have given up on them.