Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Edwards very much for his question, because the government's plan to implement a continuous naval shipbuilding program will provide the certainty that Australia's defence industry has been lacking for such a long time. It is also a key element of the government's national economic plan to support the transition to a stronger 21st century economy, to drive jobs and growth and investment. Importantly, our plan provides for the capability our Navy needs to keep us safe in our region and strong on the world stage.

The Turnbull government has now committed to investing in the construction in Australia of our future submarines, our future frigates, our offshore patrol vessels and our Pacific patrol boats. Importantly, both the future frigate and the offshore patrol vessel builds are going to launch our continuous naval shipbuilding strategy, which provides our defence industry with the certainty it needs to invest and to create jobs. We know that our continuous naval shipbuilding program will create around 2,500 direct jobs at both the Adelaide and Henderson shipyards. The future submarine program itself will create around 1,100 jobs in Adelaide as well. These are jobs for the future, as we stop the boom-bust cycle that has cost industry and jobs for far, far too long.

The government's commitment to a continuous naval ship build provides small to medium enterprises across the country—from all over the nation, in fact—who will be part of the supply chains with the work that they will need for years to come, and it gives them the certainty to plan, to invest and to engage in the workplace creation and the technological developments that are so important to this capability, not just on one project but on a continuing flow of work. This is absolutely essential for them to invest in their local communities and to employ Australians. (Time expired)