❓ Mr. Scaife questions the Minister for Defence Industry on the McGowan government's efforts to secure shipbuilding jobs and relocate the Collins-class submarine maintenance program to WA. The Minister responds by highlighting WA's advantages and criticizes the federal government's lack of commitment.
AnsweredQoN 235Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NAVAL SHIPBUILDING AND SUBMARINE MAINTENANCE
235. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Minister for Defence Industry:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to securing more
shipbuilding jobs and its strong advocacy for the Collins-class
submarine maintenance program being moved to Western Australia. Can the
minister outline to the house why Western Australia remains the best place to carry
out this work and why it remains in the national interest for this maintenance
program to be carried out here?
235. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Minister for Defence Industry:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to securing more
shipbuilding jobs and its strong advocacy for the Collins-class
submarine maintenance program being moved to Western Australia. Can the
minister outline to the house why Western Australia remains the best place to carry
out this work and why it remains in the national interest for this maintenance
program to be carried out here?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Cockburn for
his question and his deep interest in all things naval shipbuilding and
maintenance, noting that the Australian Marine Complex is in his electorate.
Everyone in Western Australia knows that
there was no advocacy for the defence industry until the McGowan government
took office in 2017. At that time , we created a portfolio and the
Defence West office. We also appointed an advocate and commenced real focused
advocacy on getting a share of the national defence spend for Western Australia
in the national interest.
In October 2018, we launched the Western
Australian defence and defence industries strategic plan , which has
at its heart as one of the central pillars
the promotion of Western Australia as the premier site for the maintenance and sustainment
of both frigates and submarines. Subsequently, as the first part of the
advocacy for Western Australia being the premier site for the sustainment and
maintenance of submarines, we took up the cause of shifting the full-cycle docking to Western Australia because we
had identified that by 2024 or 2026 at the latest, South Australia ,
notionally, would be responsible for building new frigates and commencing the
build of a new submarine and it would be
incapable of doing so. The state's population is one million fewer than
ours and its industrial base is about one-third of our own. It would be
incapable of completing that task and ensuring the operational capability of
Collins-class submarines through completing the full-cycle docking task.
In early 2019, we presented the then
new Minister for Defence, Senator Reynolds, with a comprehensive range of cases promoting the argument for why Western Australia
should be the site for full-cycle docking. Obviously, we are the home of
submarines and submariners, we are the closest point to operational areas and
all the other maintenance of submarines is already conducted in WA up to, but
short of, the full-cycle docking task. That is quite apart from the fact that
the other arguments are made with respect to scale of population and
capability. All those things were given to the minister. She confirmed publicly
in Senate estimates that a decision will be made on shifting that task by
Christmas 2019. We are still waiting for that commitment to be delivered.
Further to that, in 2020 we were
expecting—we were told by the federal government—that there
would be a naval shipbuilding plan update. The first one was delivered in 2019,
I think, and it identified South Australia and Western Australia as the only
shipbuilding sites in the country for the future. There was supposed to be an
update of that naval shipbuilding plan, which doubtless would have confirmed
where the full-cycle docking task would take place and other tasks, like
continuity of shipbuilding for Western Australia, which is an essential
commitment that we need from the federal government. But that has not been
delivered. That was supposed to have been delivered by Christmas 2020.
All I can say, member, is Western Australia
is getting on with the job. We have invested some $87 million at Henderson, as
the member is well aware, in upgrades to support other activities, including
potentially full-cycle docking. We have
delivered $18 million to training Western Australians to prepare and build our
workforce to support defence industry in Western Australia. What we do
not have is any commitment or indication of a decision from the federal
government.
I can only ask that everyone in Western
Australia continues to ask that question. There is no advocacy for defence
industry in Western Australia from the other side—it is not the other
side; it is the corner of the Parliament that is represented by the Liberals
and Nationals. They are invisible. They are silent. I ask that they step up and
ask their mates in Canberra to get off their backside and get out and make a decision.
his question and his deep interest in all things naval shipbuilding and
maintenance, noting that the Australian Marine Complex is in his electorate.
Everyone in Western Australia knows that
there was no advocacy for the defence industry until the McGowan government
took office in 2017. At that time , we created a portfolio and the
Defence West office. We also appointed an advocate and commenced real focused
advocacy on getting a share of the national defence spend for Western Australia
in the national interest.
In October 2018, we launched the Western
Australian defence and defence industries strategic plan , which has
at its heart as one of the central pillars
the promotion of Western Australia as the premier site for the maintenance and sustainment
of both frigates and submarines. Subsequently, as the first part of the
advocacy for Western Australia being the premier site for the sustainment and
maintenance of submarines, we took up the cause of shifting the full-cycle docking to Western Australia because we
had identified that by 2024 or 2026 at the latest, South Australia ,
notionally, would be responsible for building new frigates and commencing the
build of a new submarine and it would be
incapable of doing so. The state's population is one million fewer than
ours and its industrial base is about one-third of our own. It would be
incapable of completing that task and ensuring the operational capability of
Collins-class submarines through completing the full-cycle docking task.
In early 2019, we presented the then
new Minister for Defence, Senator Reynolds, with a comprehensive range of cases promoting the argument for why Western Australia
should be the site for full-cycle docking. Obviously, we are the home of
submarines and submariners, we are the closest point to operational areas and
all the other maintenance of submarines is already conducted in WA up to, but
short of, the full-cycle docking task. That is quite apart from the fact that
the other arguments are made with respect to scale of population and
capability. All those things were given to the minister. She confirmed publicly
in Senate estimates that a decision will be made on shifting that task by
Christmas 2019. We are still waiting for that commitment to be delivered.
Further to that, in 2020 we were
expecting—we were told by the federal government—that there
would be a naval shipbuilding plan update. The first one was delivered in 2019,
I think, and it identified South Australia and Western Australia as the only
shipbuilding sites in the country for the future. There was supposed to be an
update of that naval shipbuilding plan, which doubtless would have confirmed
where the full-cycle docking task would take place and other tasks, like
continuity of shipbuilding for Western Australia, which is an essential
commitment that we need from the federal government. But that has not been
delivered. That was supposed to have been delivered by Christmas 2020.
All I can say, member, is Western Australia
is getting on with the job. We have invested some $87 million at Henderson, as
the member is well aware, in upgrades to support other activities, including
potentially full-cycle docking. We have
delivered $18 million to training Western Australians to prepare and build our
workforce to support defence industry in Western Australia. What we do
not have is any commitment or indication of a decision from the federal
government.
I can only ask that everyone in Western
Australia continues to ask that question. There is no advocacy for defence
industry in Western Australia from the other side—it is not the other
side; it is the corner of the Parliament that is represented by the Liberals
and Nationals. They are invisible. They are silent. I ask that they step up and
ask their mates in Canberra to get off their backside and get out and make a decision.
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