Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Ian Campbell, the Minister representing the Minister for Defence. Can the minister confirm reports that a submarine rescue vessel operated by defence’s submarine rescue contractor, Cal Dive, sank yesterday while taking part in a submarine escape exercise off the coast of Perth? Is it true that civilian personnel on board the rescue vessel had to themselves be rescued by defence after the vessel sank to the sea floor? Can the minister advise the Senate of the fate of the submarine rescue vessel—does it remain on the sea floor? If so, does that mean that defence’s submarine fleet will have to be withdrawn from service until such time as the submarine rescue vessel is recovered from the sea floor and repaired? How long is that likely to take?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is an important question. I was briefed on this yesterday. It did occur off the Western Australian coast. I checked with the minister just before coming into question time to inquire as to the welfare of the crew, who had been stuck some hundreds of metres down, on the ocean floor. I was assured yesterday that the crew would be safe for a couple of days, but the good news that the minister was able to give me when I talked to him was that the crew have been recovered and that they are safe and well. In terms of information about the recovery of the equipment itself, I will take that on notice and provide further details to the senator.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that the government privatised defence’s submarine rescue capability in 2003? Weren’t concerns raised at the time about the contractor’s inexperience in this highly specialised form of rescue and the fact that they didn’t know how to operate the rescue vessel? Can the minister guarantee the safety of Australian submariners, even though the contractor who is supposed to provide rescue services cannot operate the rescue vessel properly?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think that all senators would want to congratulate those involved in that rescue. The rescue demonstrates that we were successful in retrieving these two people from the bottom of the ocean, off Rottnest Island, I think. We know that the Labor Party have two policies on privatisation. When they were in power, they privatised Australian Airlines, the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories and the Commonwealth Bank. They sold all of those assets and used them to fund current expenditure: they sold the silver to pay the butler. The great thing that we on this side did when we privatised things is that we used the proceeds to pay off the debt that was racked up by  Labor. And now, having paid off all of Labor’s debt, we are now using the proceeds of privatisations to build up a Future Fund to make Australia economically secure for many years to come—a Future Fund that Rudd Labor would raid for short-term, politically expedient purposes. That is the difference. (Time expired)