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

Senator Gichuhi has lit upon a very important point of the process that we are undertaking. We have set ambitious Australian industry content standards for all our major acquisitions, ensuring that if work can be done in Australia, it is done in Australia. Last week, in fact, an Oxford Economics report found the Hunter class frigate project would create over 6,300 jobs, contribute $17 billion to the Australian economy and use 48,000 tonnes of Australian steel, with over 500 Australian companies prequalified to work on the project. The Future Submarine program itself is expected to create 2,800 jobs. The offshore patrol vessels are expected to create up to 1,000 jobs and the boxer CRVs up to 1,450 jobs nationally, with around 70 per cent Australian industry content and, as I said, the build focused in Queensland. From Perth to Sydney, from Hobart to Darwin, in cities and in regional areas like Rockhampton and Nowra, our investment is paying dividends.