Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence Industry and Support) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. Is the minister aware that yesterday at Senate estimates his own department couldn't say what his job was? Additionally, the Minister for Foreign Affairs commented, 'It's fair to say I'm enjoying this.' And his own department had to take the question on notice. Is this just another example of what Australians can expect from a government which the Prime Minister has described as 'the muppet show'?

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The extraordinary thing about the Australian Labor Party on this issue is that they don't even have a Minister for Defence Industry. The Australian Labor Party has no track record at all—

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield is warned.

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

when it comes to investing in the build-up of Australia's defence capability. The Australian Labor Party lacks any goodwill at all, frankly, when it comes to making sure that the billions of dollars that the coalition is expending in the Defence portfolio goes towards creating jobs; investing in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics of young Australians coming through; investing in advanced manufacturing; and, most importantly, making sure we have a pipeline of investment in the next generation of capability for the men and women who serve in the Australian Defence Force. That's the contrast between the coalition, the Liberal and National parties, with our pipeline of investment, and the Australian Labor Party. These guys are much more interested in being involved in the Canberra bubble and they're much more interested in playing games around politics than they are in knowing the facts about what our Defence Force is doing.

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

The minister will resume his seat. The member for Grayndler on a point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely, Mr Speaker. It goes to direct relevance to the member for Eden-Monaro's question. Perhaps the minister could ask the Minister for Defence to add to his answer.

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

No. The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. The Minister for Defence Industry has the call. He's in order.

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The simple fact is that, as I said, the Liberal and National parties will keep investing in defence capability and will keep investing in Australia's defence industry. And, most importantly, we will make sure the men and women of Australia's Defence Force come home safely, because we're prepared to invest in safeguarding them, creating jobs in Australia and making sure our defence industry is strong.

But, because it's clearly beyond the shadow minister opposite, let me make it clear. Maybe you've got your smart phone in front of you. You might want to punch in www.minister.defence.gov.au, because you'll see there's a full list of responsibilities there. So, if it's far beyond you to know what it is, I suggest you have a look.

But, more importantly than that, what I'd say to the Australian Labor Party is that you need to take seriously the Australian defence industry and you need to invest in capability, because your track record is shameful. For six years, the Australian Labor Party did not commission a single new vessel for Australia. For six years you failed to invest in Australian jobs. For six years you failed to take seriously what we're doing in defence industry. We've corrected the record. We've made sure that we've got the defence industry back on track. We're creating jobs. We're investing $200 billion. And we are making sure that, under our watch, we won't go back to the lowly and miserly 1.38 per cent of GDP that existed under the Australian Labor Party. So you stand condemned for six years of inaction, and we stand proud beside the men and women of the Australian Defence Force.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The members on both sides will cease interjecting. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd ask the minister to table the document that he referred to, which apparently his department doesn't have.

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

Was the minister quoting from a confidential document?

Honourable members interjecting—

No, in fairness to the minister, he didn't quote from it.

Honourable members interjecting—

No, we're moving on. The member for Robertson has the call.