Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, 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 defence industry projects like the Joint Strike Fighter will generate thousands of jobs for hardworking Australians, create a stronger economy and ensure our national security? 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 Corangamite for her question. I know she has a particular interest in the success of the Joint Strike Fighter program because one of the companies that's had the most success out of it is Marand, which is a company that has a presence both in south-eastern Melbourne and in Geelong, where they employ at least 50 local residents of her seat, working very hard.

Today is a really important day in the Joint Strike Fighter program. It's a red-letter day because we passed over a billion dollars worth of exports because of the Joint Strike Fighter program. It's an incredible result. We'd hoped to pass a billion dollars, but we're there earlier than we'd expected, and by 2023 we should be at over $2 billion worth of exports. The Turnbull government's agenda around defence industry—

Mr Dutton interjecting—

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

The Minister for Home Affairs will cease interjecting.

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

around highly advanced technological jobs in defence industry is clearly working. This is a national project that employs around 5,000 Australians, and that number will only grow. We in the Turnbull government have decided that if we're going to have the biggest build-up of our military capability in our peacetime history—$200 billion—while capability will always be number 1, number 2 should be Australian industry content, driving jobs, investment, growth and research. Because we on this side of the House believe in growing the economy and having jobs for the economy, whereas the Labor Party only has policies to try and out-green the Greens in Batman.

This is also a national project, so companies all around Australia are benefitting, companies like AW Bell in Dandenong South, in the member for Isaacs' electorate, who make the chassis for the electrical eyes of the joint strike fighters; Heat Treatment Australia, at Coopers Plains in Moreton, who do testing and product-proving services; Marand at Moorabbin, as I've already talked about, which is in the member for Maribyrnong's electorate, who do the vertical tails for the Joint Strike Fighter; and Ferra Engineering in Bonner, which is a very famous example—they've doubled their size because of our investments in the Joint Strike Fighter; they make the holsters for the missiles.

We've also won the right to be the regional hub for the Asia-Pacific for the maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade of the joint strike fighters. That means companies like BAE in Newcastle, in the member for Paterson's electorate, will be doing the warehousing and HI Fraser, in the member for Mackellar's electorate, will be doing the maintaining of refuelling valves and auxiliary power systems—driving jobs, driving investment and driving high-tech, skilled workers. It's a great outcome today. Congratulations to everyone involved in it. (Time expired)