Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. How will Australia's nuclear powered submarines open opportunities in science and research and create a skilled workforce for generations to come?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been patient with this issue. When people are asking questions from both sides, they'll be heard in silence. Before ministers speak is not the time to interject. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition continually abuses that. I'm just reminding all members for one last time, you can't expect respect shown on one side and not shown to the other. It's got to be disciplined and it's got to be each time the question and answer begins.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the member for his question and also acknowledge his advocacy on behalf of South Australia's defence industry. At the BAE facility at Barrow-in-Furness where BAE is building Britain's Astute class submarines, and will build the future SSN AUKUS submarines, there is a training academy on site which is hugely impactful to see. It was established in 2018 and since then it's seen the training of 1,500 apprentices. When you walk around the facility seeing young people starting out and older people who are retraining for a rewarding career in building submarines, you understand the power of that program in providing fantastic livelihoods for thousands of people, as well as building the skills base of an entire nation.

Last Wednesday I signed, with the Premier of South Australia, a cooperation agreement between the Commonwealth and South Australia which will see the establishment of a training academy at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia right next to where we will be building our future nuclear powered submarines. This academy is going to provide training and all the skills necessary to build a submarine, from specialist welding to pipe fitting through to the electrical trades—a seamless transition from the classroom to the workplace.

In addition to trade training, this program is going to see a massive lift in the teaching of science across our universities. Today we have significant schools in nuclear physics at ANU and the University of New South Wales. But in mathematics, in engineering, in computer science and in the new areas of quantum and AI, this program will see a massive boost in the teaching of science in this country, which is so important because as a nation we have to change our cultural relationship to science. We have to put science much more front and centre in the way in which we see the world.

Last week was a really big moment in the defence history of our country but, in truth, it was also a really big moment in the science history and in the skills history of our country. Students looking to pursue an education in technical trades or in science can now look to a really exciting career in building our future nuclear powered submarines with a much greater sense of optimism and certainty.