Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. In June 2014 the government announced that the C1654 tender for two new supply ships would be restricted to an overseas build by either Navantia, of Spain, or DSME of South Korea. It is my understanding that the tender is now closed and responses are being evaluated by Defence. Noting that no further input can be provided to Defence by the tenderers and that I do not seek any indication as to how the tender is progressing, can the minister please advise whether any of the tenderers have indicated in their responses a willingness to include some block or module construction in Australian shipyards—that is, potential local content worth up to hundreds of millions of dollars?