Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Brandis. I refer the minister to testimony to a Senate Economics References Committee hearing on 22 July by leading Australian shipbuilding expert Dr John White. Dr White is heading the German consortium's bid as part of your sham submission submarine process. He had this to say about a local submarine build:

I am sure that if we truly analyse all aspects of the project we will have a lower cost to the government from an all-build in Australia.

Minister, if experts involved in your own sham process are saying it is cheaper to build in Australia, will you now direct that the only option the government will consider is a local build for our future submarines?