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

I thank Senator Gallacher for the opportunity to reaffirm the government's decision to build 12 Future Submarines in Adelaide. It is a historic decision. It is a nation-building decision. It will deliver the capability that our Navy needs and it will create thousands of Australian jobs. In fact, it will create over 1,100 direct jobs and 1,700 indirect jobs in addition to the thousands of other jobs which will be created through our surface shipbuilding program as well. Every single decision that this government has taken in relation to naval acquisition, from the Future Submarines to the surface ships, is about ensuring we have a sovereign naval shipbuilding industry in this country.

Of course, that stands in distinct contrast, Mr President, as you might recall, to those opposite, who failed to make one single decision in relation to the acquisition of naval capability—