Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and on behalf of Senators Bilyk, Duniam, Polley, Urquhart, Abetz, Bushby and Singh, move:

That the Senate—

(a) acknowledges Tasmania has the defence knowledge, capabilities and capacities to participate in the defence industries sector;

(b) notes that:

  (i) the University of Tasmania, through its world leading marine research, engineering and training facility the Australian Maritime College (AMC), is the acknowledged Australian leader in maritime education in both technical skills and research,

  (ii) the AMC has developed a range of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) which are suited for defence purposes and provide the opportunity for:

(A) increased consolidation of research and innovation at the University of Tasmania Inveresk site,

(B) the redevelopment of the University of Tasmania, AMC Newnham site, and

(C) associated local advanced manufacturing, particularly in North and North West Tasmania,

  (iii) the state-of-the-art AUVs enable a broad range of scientific, industry and defence-related projects by facilitating exploration and data collection in remote and inhospitable locations,

  (iv) the AMC has the capability to lead or play a key role in any necessary training associated with significant defence projects, such as the Future Submarines Program,

  (v) in addition to the defence opportunity that the AUVs represent, Tasmania already has a number of industries with the capability to participate in defence-related industries supporting, for example, combat reconnaissance vehicles, shield and antenna protection and marine survival,

  (vi) defence industry opportunities for Tasmania will deliver a range of significant social and economic benefits across the state, including a growth in industry research and increased employment through advanced manufacturing, and

  (vii) there is unequivocal and mutual support from both Labor and Liberal parties at a state and federal level for Tasmania as a key centre for defence research, development and industry; and

(c) calls on:

  (i) the Department of Defence to continue to work with industry with the goal of ensuring Tasmania is as integrated as possible in Australia's defence capability, including defence research, associated education, training and manufacturing, and

  (ii) the Government to continue working collaboratively with the Tasmanian Government so Tasmania can play its role in the defence research and manufacturing industries sector.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This notice of motion is brilliant. It acknowledges that Tasmania has defence knowledge, capabilities and capacities to participate in the Defence industries sector. It outlines a brilliant plan using the resources, research and technical skills of the University of Tasmania through the Australian Maritime College for Tasmanian business to win a share of our nation's massive Defence budget. However, I cannot vote for it because of one significant fault. The Liberal and Labor senators who have crafted and signed this notice of motion have not acknowledged that the author of this plan is Professor Peter Rathjen, the Vice-Chancellor of UTas. As this notion of motion stands, the people of Tasmania could be tricked into believing this was created by the Liberal and Labor Parties. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, not taking credit for the work of others. I know it is Professor Rathjen's plan because he told me about it on Tuesday, 7 February and I relayed it personally to the Prime Minister on Wednesday, 8 February and the Leader of the Opposition on Thursday, 9 February. Let's give credit where credit is due and show some leadership. Goodness me!

Senator Carol Brown interjecting—

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

Order! Senators Brown and Lambie.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to put on record that the University of Tasmania has no greater friend than the Australian Greens. The scientific community and the research effort across all our research institutions have always had the support of the Australian Greens. We support the relocation of the Newnham campus to Launceston and the future it will bring to our town. We always work constructively with the University of Tasmania for a clean, green and clever future in Tasmania. However, we are a party a very strong principles—and we are proud of that—but we cannot be seen to be supporting Defence expenditure on projects for which we have very little information at this stage. Procurement it may be, but $80 billion is a lot of money that we could be spending on a lot of important things in this country, including on other research programs at the University of Tasmania.

Question agreed to.