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 Minister Payne. In an official press release on 20 February 2015 former defence minister Kevin Andrews said the future submarines would be delivered in the 2020s. Noting that departmental advice has not changed in the last three years, will the minister now confirm that the government's policy has changed and delivery is required in the early 2030s?

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

I can confirm that the government's policy is as represented by the recently released 2016Defence white paper.

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

I will take that as a yes. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, do you agree with former Prime Minister Tony Abbott that the Collins class is 'a fragile capability at the best of times'?

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

In fact, what I think should be placed on the record is the capability that the Collins class submarine is currently demonstrating and the work that it has done. We have, if not five, definitely four boats currently in the water of the six boats in the fleet. In fact, there are two off South Australia. We value very much the role that the Collins class submarine plays. However, recognising that it will, as all good things, come to an end, we have commissioned through the competitive evaluation process—

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

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on direct relevance. The quote from Mr Abbott was 'a fragile capability at the best of times'. We are asking whether the minister agrees with that. I do not believe that that particular question has been answered.

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

In the context of how the minister was answering the question, I think she was being directly relevant. She has been talking about the Collins class submarines. I think we have to give her the opportunity to complete answer.

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

I did indicate the capability of the Collins class submarines currently operating on behalf of the nation, with the strong support of the Chief of Navy, who I think has recently commented favourably on their activity as well. But we recognised, unlike those opposite, that decisions had to be made in relation to the acquisition of future submarines, so we commissioned a competitive evaluation process. (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 final supplementary question. Minister, in the Senate on 23 November 2015 you stated:

… the longer the Collins submarines are kept in service, the more their relative capability will decline as newer submarines enter service within our region.

Minister, why were you happy to stick the boot into Collins late last year just like Mr Abbott did in the last few days?

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

Unfortunately Senator Conroy's efforts to mischaracterise the statement I made in the Senate in 2015 are completely without foundation. It is a statement of fact that the longer you extend the life of a capability the more it involves greater sustainment costs. They become more expensive to maintain. It does mean that their relative capability declines as newer submarines enter service within our region. That is a statement of fact.

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

That's obvious.

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

That is a statement of the obvious—indeed, Senator Brandis. The work that we are doing to commence the competitive evaluation process is something that was not done on the other side. That is what would have left Australia with a capability gap.