Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

Just so people who are watching this are clear as to what is going on here: I put a motion to the Senate recognising the great work that has been done down in Adelaide in the sustainment of Collins class submarines and asking the Senate to agree that that work should stay in South Australia, where the expertise is, to avoid a billion-dollar cost which we can simply no longer afford in the face of what has just happened to this nation. What's happening here is that neither Labor nor Liberal want to recognise that that is the best place for this to happen. We know last time government senators were not in the chamber for the vote, and it was the same with Labor the last time around. This is just a stunt to avoid making a commitment to South Australians.