Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister: how is the Albanese Labor government cleaning up the mess of a wasted decade under the Liberals and Nationals when it comes to defence?

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

I thank the member for his question and acknowledge his contribution to Australian defence policy. On 31 March 2021, a day after the Leader of the Opposition had just become Australia's defence minister, he announced that the former government was to establish an industrial base in this country for the manufacture of guided weapons. This was done in the finest traditions and with all the hoopla of a Morrison government announcement. Indeed, the member for Cook was on the press release, where he said:

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, having the ability for self-reliance, be it vaccine development or the defence of Australia, is vital to meeting our own requirements in a changing global environment.

We all know what they didn't do with vaccines, and they weren't much better when it came to the defence of Australia. The press release also said:

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has estimated that Australia will spend $100 billion in the next 20 years on missile and guided weapons purchases.

It promised the creation of 2,000 high-tech jobs in Australia—although, under the scrutiny of Senate estimates, it turns out that that number was not based on any advice from the Department of Defence; in fact, it was completely made up. The reality of that announcement was very different. Only $1 billion was committed, not nearly enough to see this get going, and the time frame for the beginning of manufacturing guided weapons in this country was not to happen until 2027, a full six years after this announcement was made—promises on the never-never, all fanfare, no follow-up, all announcement, no delivery. On his first full day in the job as Australia's defence minister he sold this country a fantasy.

The Albanese government is very different. Announcements are one matter, but we ask to be judged on our outcomes. Over the last couple of weeks we've committed $2.5 billion to the establishment of a guided weapons enterprise in this country. We've already appointed a three-star officer, Air Vice-Marshal Leon Phillips, to oversee that enterprise, and this is all part of the Defence Strategic Review, which was released on 24 April, the first retasking of our Defence Force in more than 35 years. At the heart of that retasking is giving our Defence Force the capacity for impactful protection, which is why establishing a guided weapons enterprise forms one of our six initial priorities to the Defence Strategic Review, because this is exactly the capability our nation needs to keep Australians safe.