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

My question is also to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. I refer to a South Australian Liberal Party advertisement which is currently running on commercial radio in Adelaide claiming:

Malcolm Turnbull's South Australian Liberal team will deliver 12 submarines for the navy creating jobs for our state for decades.

Can the minister confirm that this claim is inconsistent with the government's defence white paper?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not sure that Senator Wong grasps the premises of the white paper, particularly in relation to the aspects of the Integrated Investment Program and the work that will be required to basically bring to fruition the government's commitments in the white paper. If she did, then she would be aware that we will deliver thousands of jobs in shipbuilding across Australia for thousands of Australian workers. The reason that we are able to do that is that, unlike those opposite, we are actually engaged at this point in time, just for starters, in three separate competitive evaluation processes—one with which the senator is very much familiar, the competitive evaluation process for the Future Submarine, and two others for offshore patrol vessels and for the Future Frigates—all three of which will, as they progress to fruition, bring significant amounts of industry activity and employment to Australian industry.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. During Senate question time last week, the minister said that the government's competitive evaluation process for our Future Submarines asked bidders to submit an option for:

… a completely international build …

Given the government's own process leaves a completely international build on the table, how can the minister justify the misleading ad running on radio?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I assume that, as a former finance minister, Senator Wong is familiar with the processes of engaging in things like competitive evaluation processes and tenders. For example, it seems to me that when Prime Minister Rudd, defence minister Smith, industry minister Combet and defence materiel minister Kelly announced the then Labor government's initiative on supply ships and said, and I quote—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President—

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

Pause the clock.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order on direct relevance to the particular question asked by Senator Wong, which was about the misleading ad on South Australian radio and about the aspect of 'completely international build'. The minister has not come close to that aspect.

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

Senator Wong did ask about how the minister can justify the ads that are running in South Australia. I have been listening to the minister's answer and I am waiting for the minister. Minister, you have 35 seconds.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. Let me finish my quote from the Labor ministers:

The Government will at the earliest opportunity replace Australia's supply ships HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius.

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

Mr President—

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

Pause the clock.

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

I rise on a point of order as to direct relevance. The question was about this minister's own white paper—the fact that it leaves open a completely international build, which is entirely inconsistent with the misleading ad the Liberal Party is running in South Australia. She should answer the question, Mr President.

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

Thank you for your point of order. I remind the minister again of the question. Minister, you have 29 seconds in which to answer.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you:

This will include examination of options for local, hybrid and overseas build or the leasing of an existing vessel.

As the senator knows, I said last week that there were three options contained in the CEP, which is a matter of public record: an overseas build, a hybrid build and a domestic build. But no matter what the build is, the difference between us and them is the number of jobs that will be created in shipbuilding in this country; the difference between us and them is zero over there and thousands over here. (Time expired)

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the minister's answer just then demonstrated that the advertisement is not consistent with the defence white paper and the competitive evaluation process, will the minister now require that the misleading South Australian Liberal ad be withdrawn?

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

Minister, part of that question I think does not necessarily fall within your purview in being able to direct a party organisation, but I will invite you to answer parts of that question that you can.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I am not even sure I heard the question.

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

I am happy to repeat it.

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

Minister, are you seeking for the question to be repeated?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I am not, Mr President.

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

Fine, you have the call, Minister.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is fair to say I have heard it all before. What those opposite do not understand is that the advertisements to which they refer talk about Australia with an acquisition program for 12 submarines. That would be the difference between the people sitting on this side and the people sitting over there—an actual acquisition program for 12 submarines. That would be the difference between nought jobs delivered by those over there and what will be thousands of jobs delivered by this government in shipbuilding in Australia.