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

Thank you Mr President, I will attempt to do so, when it is warranted.

As I was saying, what the Labor Party has put on the table today is a process that the coalition should sign-up to, because it is the most rational process. It is a reasonable process and one that will actually deliver. It was interesting that Senator Abetz had to take offence when I criticised the Minister for Defence. It just shows how rattled the coalition are by this whole process.

Many of those opposite were disappointed by Mr Abbott's captain's pick, which only came about in the context of a potential leadership spill. When his own job was threatened, Mr Abbott suddenly invented this process, and coerced the defence minister into supporting him in this so-called tender process, which was demonstrated again today by Minister for Defence, Mr Andrews, as a fig leaf for a decision that has already been made. It is a fig leaf for a decision that has already been made in a dodgy deal that the Prime Minister has stitched up with Japan, and which will dud this country, because there are no guarantees under that dodgy deal that this important work will be done in Australia, in my home state. There is no guarantee at all.

As a passionate South Australian, and a great fan of the Australian Submarine Corporation and a person determined to ensure that we have skilled manufacturing jobs in my home state of South Australia, I implore the coalition to put the past behind us and to join with Labor to ensure that this most important defence procurement project is delivered in Australia and guarantees jobs for Australians and guarantees the security of Australia into the future.

Question agreed to.