Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Brandis, Minister representing the Minister for Defence. I refer the minister to reports on the ABC's Insiders program yesterday that documents exist confirming that the Prime Minister has done a deal with Japan to build Australia's new submarine fleet. Do such documents exist?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallacher, I thank you for that question. No deal has been done in relation to Australia's future submarine fleet. No deal has been done, Senator Gallacher, and no decision has been made.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order, I am aware that the minister does have some time but he was sitting down so quickly, I thought I had better get in quickly. The question was: 'Do such documents exist?' I draw his attention to the question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By inference, I think the minister is answering the question by indicating that no such deal has been done. But, equally, Senator Wong, you are right; the minister does have one minute and 42 seconds left to answer the question.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought I was asked whether documents existed evidencing a deal. No deal has been done.

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

Yes, it has.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy!

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No deal has been done. No decision has been made. What the government has announced is that there will be a competitive evaluation process to select an international partner to develop the next generation of Australian submarines.

I must say, Senator Gallacher, I find this more than curious coming from you, a Labor senator—this new-found interest in the Australia submarine project, which was allowed to lie in abeyance for the entire six years of your Labor government.

For six years, you did nothing. Your party did nothing. Through successive defence ministers, the future submarine lay in the too-hard basket because not one of your ministers whether it was Joel Fitzgibbon, whether it was John Faulkner, whether it was Stephen Smith was prepared to make a decision. This government has made a decision to progress the future Australian submarine. No decision has been made as to the international partner. A decision will be made as a result of the competitive evaluation process that was announced by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence. The various bidding countries, whether they be Japan or France or Germany, will be appraised and are being appraised. But Senator Gallacher, you sat on your hands for six years and did nothing.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to reports in The Australian today which say that documents were prepared to announce a deal with Japan. The article said:

The process reached a point where media releases were prepared but never sent out.

Can the minister confirm that media releases were drafted by the government announcing a deal for Japan to build our submarine fleet?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallacher, I have not read that article in The Australian this morning.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I actually have not so I am not in a position to comment on it in detail. But I can tell you, Senator Gallacher, that no deal has been done—

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and no decision has been made. I do not know how many times I have to tell you that, Senator Gallacher. You know what the Prime Minister and Mr Andrews announced. You are aware of the competitive evaluation process. You know that the government has said that Australia will need to engage an international partner to pick up where you left off. Senator Gallacher, your side of politics, through three defence ministers and three successive prime ministers, left a capability gap in one of Australia's most important strategic capabilities. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer Senator Brandis to Peter Hartcher's article in TheSydney Morning Herald on 20 February about the submarine debacle where he quotes an Abbott government minister saying:

There was a headlong rush to be best buddies with Abe … and we've been backfilling ever since.

Isn't the government's sham process for Australia's future submarines designed only to deliver a decision already made in secret by the government?

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order Senator Conroy.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have already answered the substance of the question. Senator Gallacher, you talk about a debacle; how is this for a debacle—a government that gets elected in 2007 knowing there is a need to progress to the next generation of Australian submarine after the last Labor debacle of the Collins class submarine and then goes on for six years and does precisely nothing across three defence ministers and three prime ministers knowing with each successive year that the capability gap in this vital strategic asset is growing and growing and growing. I do not know, Senator Gallacher, how more simply I can put this to you. For six years you did nothing, not a thing to progress the next generation of the Australian submarine. This government inherited that debacle from you and we are determined to ensure we get the best deal.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—