Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, they have gone missing, Senator Conroy, that's for sure—the government had to keep coming up with excuses for reneging on its election promise. Now it's only argument is that if something is not done soon there will be a capability gap at Submarine Corp. that will not be able to be bridged. However, even this fig leaf that the government is now using to cover up its broken election promise has been revealed for what it is—a cover-up.

Yesterday, as we heard earlier on, a report of the Senate economics references committee was tabled in the Senate. That clearly debunks that idea that the government is clinging as it tries to justify breaking its promise to the people of South Australia to build the Future Submarines in my state. The Senate inquiry heard evidence from expert after expert after expert who demolished the government's arguments about the lack of competitiveness, about the quality of Japanese submarines versus Australian submarines, and about the ability of the Australian workforce to build and maintain these submarines. When asked about the potential for a capability gap if the submarine project does not come online in time to ensure the workforce and skills needed to build the subs in South Australia are retained, the committee heard from genuine experts like Commodore Paul Greenfield, Rear Admiral Peter Briggs and Dr John White who all said that there does not have to be a capability gap if we get on with the competitive tender process now. These are the experts to whom we should be listening. For example, as we heard at the inquiry, Dr John White, the expert chosen by the government to review the Air Warfare Destroyer project said:

There is still sufficient time available, with adequate contingency, for the competitive PDS (Project Design Study) to be carried out and to build the Future Submarines in Australia.

Or, at the same inquiry, retired Commodore Greenfield, who said:

There does not have to be a capability if we get on with it now.

And we should be getting on with it now. That is what the Senate Economics References Committee report that was tabled yesterday clearly states. It is very disappointing that Liberal senators who participated in that inquiry are backing away from the recommendations in that report to get on with it, to start the competitive tendering process so that we can fulfil the government's promise to build those submarines in my home state of South Australia.

Even Mr Martin Hamilton-Smith, the minister for defence in South Australia, a former Liberal himself, has seen the light. He clearly stated to the Economics References Committee that he believes the submarines can be, should be, must be built in South Australia.