Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

It was a significant moment for our nation's history when Prime Minister Albanese, President Biden and Prime Minister Sunak, last week in San Diego, announced the support for the AUKUS deal on the nuclear submarines. This will be the single biggest investment in Australia's defence capability in history. AUKUS represents a transformational moment for our nation, our Defence Force and our economy as well. It will strengthen Australia's national security and contribute to regional stability in response to unprecedented strategic challenges. Australia actively seeks to contribute to creating a set of conditions that would make it unthinkable for any one country to choose conflict over coexistence. We will always be better off in a world where rules are clear, mutually negotiated and consistently followed.

But we must also contend with the implications of a changing region. In the context of deteriorating strategic circumstances in the Indo-Pacific region, we must act decisively to ensure the security and stability of the region. Australia's nuclear powered submarine capability will enable AUKUS partners, in collaboration with like-minded countries, to better contribute to a sovereign and resilient Indo-Pacific region and deter aggression more effectively. AUKUS is a multigenerational commitment amongst the trilateral partners to broaden our ability, promote stability and contribute to deterrence in the region. Embarking on this vital effort will further strengthen our already deep-seated relationships with the United States and the United Kingdom and provide further opportunities to work with partners in the region.

With the AUKUS agreement, the Albanese government is making record investments in defence, skills, jobs and infrastructure. Starting this year, the Australian military and civilian personnel will embed with the Royal Navy and the US Navy and with the UK and US submarine industrial bases to accelerate their training and development. Training and development will be supported by longer and more frequent visits by nuclear powered submarines. The first nuclear

powered submarines built by Australian workers at Osborne in South Australia are expected to be delivered in the early 2040s, with the next subs to be delivered on a regular drumbeat following.

The phased approach will result in $6 billion invested in Australia's industrial capability and workforce over the next four years. AUKUS will create around 20,000 highly skilled and high-paid direct jobs over the next 30 years across industry, the Australian Defence Force and the Public Service. At its peak, up to 4,000 Australian workers will be employed to design and build the infrastructure for the submarine construction yard at Osborne. A further 4,000 to 5,000 direct jobs are expected to be created to build nuclear powered submarines in South Australia when the program reaches its peak. In Western Australia, around 3,000 direct jobs will be created through the expansion, with an additional 500 direct jobs to sustain Submarine Rotational Force—West from 2027 to 2032. This whole-of-nation effort also presents a whole-of-nation opportunity for new jobs, new industries and new expertise in science, technology and cyber. Businesses right across the country, in every state and territory, will have the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from these opportunities over decades to come.

I was in Rockhampton last week and met with the mayor and other leaders there. I also met with the delegation of mayors from the Central Queensland region late last year. They know the opportunity that an increase in defence spending can provide for their communities. They are optimistic about the opportunity it can create in Central Queensland. Central Queensland has well-known, well-established defence industries in places like Rockhampton and further north in Townsville. It has also been a manufacturing hub for decades, and these skills can continue to be utilised to contribute to our defence industries.

The AUKUS agreement will provide even greater opportunities for increased defence spending to benefit communities across the whole of the country. Funding for this commitment will amount to around 0.15 per cent of GDP per year, averaged over the life of the program, which supports the Prime Minister's commitment during the election campaign to see defence spending lift to over two per cent of GDP. These transformational partnerships with the UK and US will deliver our Australian Defence Force a superior capability, not just for our generation but for generations to come.