Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. I refer the minister to an interview given by Senator Edwards on Sky News yesterday when he again confirmed that the Prime Minister promised to hold a tender for Australia's new submarine fleet. Senator Edwards said:

… when I asked, "Now, can I confirm that the ASC can compete in this tender?," he said, "Yes. You can."

Is Senator Edwards wrong?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I update the hapless Deputy Leader of the Opposition and point out to him a statement made by Senator Edwards to this place only a matter of, I assume, less than an hour or so ago. It said:

The assurance I sought—

the one from the Prime Minister—

was very simple. I asked for Australian companies like the ASC to have the right to compete for the Future Submarines project on merit. That is the very assurance I got, and that is the very assurance that stands today.

Having been asked this question by Senator Conroy, who is, allegedly, ventilating concern about the submarine project for Australia, can I simply say that for six years nothing occurred. In one of the great master understatements—the master understatement ever—Senator Conroy himself admitted that the submarine project did not go as fast as everybody wanted. Can I tell you: it did not go at any speed.

Government Senator:

A government senator interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was like Ayers Rock; it has not moved in ages. Similarly, your ASC project moved nowhere, went nowhere, because there was nothing that was guaranteed. But the finance minister who used to preside over the finances of this nation, Senator Wong from South Australia, saw the stripping of $16,000 million dollars out of the defence budget and then claimed, 'Shock, horror, there mightn't be enough money in the defence budget.' Can I ask: in the six years, under Labor, did they do anything about submarines? No. (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I, again, refer the minister to yesterday's Sky News interview, with Senator Edwards, who, when asked about the Prime Minister's commitment to a tender, said—and I quote—'The Prime Minister hasn't varied that, he hasn't rung me since and he hasn't varied the assurance that he gave me.'

Given that the Prime Minister has been caught out, trading submarines for votes, when is the Prime Minister going to come clean on what he promised Senator Edwards to secure his failing leadership?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The silly word games of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, once again, provide a window into the Australian Labor Party's thinking when it comes to the affairs of this nation and especially its defence requirements. As I have already indicated to the honourable senator, Senator Edwards made a statement after that Sky interview—indeed, as recent as one hour ago—to this place that said:

The assurance I sought was very simple. I asked for Australian companies like the ASC to have the right to compete for the Future Submarines project on merit. That is the very assurance I got, and that is the very assurance that stands today.

And this coming from a cabinet minister in the former government, which ensured that not a single naval vessel was built in Australia during the Labor regime! Indeed, the only one that was purchased, the HMAS Choules, was bought from the United Kingdom. (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer the minister to reports that Senator Edwards received an expletive-laden phone call from junior frontbencher Mr Briggs, who accused Senator Edwards of 'lying and deliberately misrepresenting the Prime Minister's position to bolster his Senate preselection chances'. Does the minister agree with Mr Briggs and does the minister agree with the Prime Minister, who has supported Mr Briggs today by saying, 'The term that I used in public and private is "a competitive evaluation process"'. (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the previous answer I just gave, I may have used the word 'built' rather than 'commissioned' and, if that is the case, I would seek to substitute those words: Labor did not commission a naval vessel to be built in Australia in the six years whilst they were in government.

In relation to whether or not somebody engaged in an expletive-laden phone conversation, I have no idea about that. But all that I can say, with great and absolute confidence, is that if there were such a conversation, it would never match the sorts of conversations that took place between Senator Conroy and Mr Rudd.