Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence and relates to the Future Frigate Program. In June 2018, the Type 26 was announced as the basis for what we now know as the Hunter class frigate, with claims of large-scale job creation, work for Australian industry and a schedule that was fundamental to establishing the naval shipbuilding program. Real Australian suppliers, as opposed to local shopfronts for foreign industry, remain of the view that the opportunities they expected to be able to compete for are being pushed to BAE Systems' standard suppliers in the UK and shopfronts here. What action is the government taking to ensure all Australian owned and controlled suppliers are being offered full and fair access to work packages for the project?