Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

We supported the original motion. The current sustainment model that supports the Collins class submarines works well in South Australia, and it is not warranted to move this to Western Australia. Of greater significance is the absurdly expensive contract that the government signed to purchase 12 new submarines over the next 20 years. The current cost of building them with all peripherals is now around $200 billion. Has this government gone mad? In the middle of this pandemic, we cannot afford to proceed with this contract. This money would be far better spent supporting the Australian recovery from the economic pit that is being caused by the pandemic. By the time these submarines are delivered they will be obsolete. They are a complete waste of money that would be far better spent elsewhere. The cost of $400 million to cancel this contract is a pittance compared with proceeding. We need to dump this new subs contract.