Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Wong. Can the minister update the Senate on the progress being made by the Albanese government to deliver Australia's conventionally armed nuclear powered submarines and realise the benefits of the AUKUS partnership?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Smith, from the great state of South Australia, for her question about defence and defence industry jobs. I am pleased to say, in response to her question, that the government is making considerable progress. The Prime Minister was invited by President Biden for a state visit last month, and that visit was followed shortly by the Deputy Prime Minister. Both had successful engagements to drive our AUKUS partnership forward. Since announcing the pathway to acquire nuclear powered submarines, the Albanese government has taken tangible actions to implement the AUKUS partnership, including the investment of $150 million in skills and workforce development in the May budget; establishing the Australian Submarine Agency on 1 July; and commencing initial works on the submarine construction yard in our home state of South Australia—meaning mine and Senator Smith's, not everybody's.

Last week in Adelaide, the Deputy Prime Minister announced further decisive steps with Premier Malinauskas. The South Australian defence industry workforce and skills report, which helps identify how we can best develop the defence industry workforce in South Australia, was released; the land exchange between the Commonwealth and South Australian governments was finalised; and the government has released an exposure draft of enabling legislation critical for establishing a seamless industrial base with our AUKUS partners. At the heart of this legislation are game-changing reformers for the Australian defence industry, which should see the removal of burdensome red tape with the United Kingdom and the United States. As Deputy Prime Minister Marles has made clear, establishing a shared industrial base between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom is a core part of AUKUS. This is the greatest industrial endeavour Australia has embarked on for decades, and it will see jobs and economic investment for generations to come.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, first supplementary?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note the Minister for Defence was in South Australia last week where he visited the Osborne Naval Shipyard with Premier Peter Malinauskas. Can the minister tell the Senate how South Australia and, in particular, the defence industry will benefit from announcements made between the Albanese government and the South Australia government?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for her supplementary question. It gives me the opportunity to speak in a little more detail about the South Australian defence industry workforce and skills report and action plan that was released on Friday. That plan highlights that the defence industry in South Australia is forecast to grow from its current level of around 3½ thousand direct jobs to more than 8½ thousand direct jobs in the 2040s. Of course, what we need to do is act now to ensure we're able to recruit enough people with the right skills in five years and 10 years and beyond, and that is what the government is doing.

The action plan details a strategy to grow and sustain South Australia's defence industry workforce, the workforce that is required to deliver the largest and most complex defence project Australia has undertaken. It reaffirms the government's commitment to ensuring a continuous naval shipbuilding capability. The Deputy Prime Minister also announced the formal arrangement for land transfers between the Commonwealth and Australia to enable the development of a construction yard and the skills and training— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Marielle Smith, second supplementary?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What are some of the challenges the Albanese government has confronted in delivering these important defence industry projects?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If I may, I might just finish the last point I was making in relation to the previous question, which is: the development of the submarine construction yard and the Skills and Training Academy at Osborne, which also will enable 4,000 jobs expected in construction work over the years to come.

But, of course, there was a very different approach that was taken when those opposite were in government. We saw a decade of chaos and dysfunction. As the now shadow minister of defence as stated, Defence had too many ministers over a nine-year period, which, of course, led to a squandering of a lot of opportunity. And, of course, the approach of the former government was to promise the world and then walk away from it. We saw the in-and-out deal with Japan, then the in-and-out deal with France, and who can forget Senator Johnston saying he wouldn't trust the Australian Submarine Corporation to build a canoe! (Time expired)