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 Minister for Defence, Senator Brandis. I refer to the Prime Minister's conflicting statements about building Australia's offshore patrol vessels. In Adelaide the Prime Minister said construction of our future naval fleet would be centred in South Australia. In Melbourne the Prime Minister said the construction would most likely start in South Australia but could move to Melbourne. Last week the Prime Minister said that Western Australia could bid for these vessels, an in the other place today he said that the patrol vessels may be moved from Adelaide in 2020. Which is it, minister? Will you give us a straight answer: where will these ships be built?

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

Senator Conroy, the future frigates will be built in Adelaide. The offshore patrol vessels will be built in Australia, primarily in Adelaide, but other localities in Australia will be at liberty to bid for the offshore patrol vessels. As a result of the competitive evaluation process, later in the year the government is proposing to announce the construction of the future submarine program, but there will be very, very substantial work in Adelaide for the future submarine program. I must say, Senator Conroy, that your chutzpah really is extraordinary. You were a minister in a government that did nothing for Australian naval shipbuilding for six years—nothing. Not a single Australian naval ship was commenced in the six years during which you sat around the cabinet table—not one. Not one single Australian warship was commenced. The Future Submarine program was delayed and put off for over six years. As a result, what has been referred to in the industry as the valley of death, the point between the end of work on pre-existing programs begun by the Howard government and the uptake of work on programs introduced by the Abbott government—

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

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, George.

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

Senator Conroy, you have asked your question.

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

Senator Conroy, the valley of death occurred on your watch. Do not take that from me; take it from Dennis Richardson, the Secretary of the Department of Defence, who said:

While it is too late to avoid the valley of death, you can take decisions now—

that is, in 2015—

to minimise its impact and to put the industry on a long-term basis.

The CDF, Air Chief Marshal Binskin, said the same:

A decision on a project or program would have had to have been made back then—

(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. Given that the government's first decision in naval shipbuilding upon coming to government was to send the two supply vessels mandated offshore and with work on the offshore patrol vessels not due to start until 2018 and with the industry in crisis due to your early first decision, will your Prime Minister revisit this outrageous decision to exclude Australian companies from tendering for the Navy's new supply ships?

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

Senator, you refer to the government's decision to replace HMAS Success. We have to replace HMAS Success with a vessel acquired from overseas because of the urgency of the need, because on your watch no tender was let to an Australian naval shipyard at the time it needed to be so that Success could have been replaced before the end of its operational life by an Australian build.

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

They would be being built now.

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

You have asked your question, Senator Conroy.

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

That is the reason for the urgency of replacing Success now with an overseas acquisition—because you did not place the order, you did not commence the process when it should have been commenced, during the six long years of the Labor government. Senator Conroy, I was in the course of reading from the CDF, Air Chief Marshal Binskin, about the naval shipbuilding program. Air Chief Marshal Binskin said:

A decision on a project or program would have had to have been made back then—

back then when you were the government—

so that we could make the transition from the current projects to the next.

(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. The Senate made clear with its vote yesterday that it agrees with the experts that building our future submarines in Australia would be the cheapest option and ensure that there is enough work to sustain shipyards right across our country. Will you now direct that your sham submarine process only consider proposals for a local Australian build or will the Prime Minister instead keep his secret promise to the Japanese Prime Minister?

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

In the unlikely event that I was not heard before for all the hysterical shouting from Senator Conroy, let me repeat that during the six years of the Labor government, during which time Senator Conroy, Senator Carr and Senator Wong sat around the cabinet table, not a single Australian naval shipbuilding project was commenced—not one for six years. Notwithstanding that the Secretary of the Department of Defence and the Navy were urgently warning the then Labor government of the need to get on with it, to progress naval shipbuilding, they did nothing. You did nothing. We have made the most important announcement in the history of Australian naval shipbuilding with the continuous build and will be announcing the result of the competitive evaluation process of the Future Submarine later this year. (Time expired)

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.