❓ The Premier outlines the WA government's efforts to develop the shipbuilding industry, highlighting successes, investments, and concerns regarding federal government's potential offshore contracts.
AnsweredQoN 412Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Will the Premier please outline the state government’s attempts to further develop the shipbuilding industry in Western Australia? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
I think everyone is aware that the government is very keen to promote and invest in the shipbuilding industry in Western Australia. The shipbuilding industry in Western Australia is highly successful. Our historic connection with the sea was through the fishing industry. During the Second World War, very important defence functions were performed in and around Fremantle as part of the defence of the nation. In recent times, all these influences have come together to create a magnificent industry that exports all over the world. I was at Austal Ships Pty Ltd recently. It had just finished a magnificent new high-speed ferry that has now been taken on by a Greek shipping company to transport tourists around the Greek Islands. That ship is now playing a role in the Greek tourism industry. The shipbuilding industry is very much an export industry. It also involves a tremendous amount of skilled labour and creates wealth and opportunities for many Western Australians. We have been promoting the shipbuilding industry in the context of the defence precinct south of Fremantle in Henderson, and also further south at Naval Base. Over the past couple of years Western Australia has won the $300 million contract for the Armidale-class patrol boats, the two ANZAC-class frigates upgrades, and the Navy tanker upgrade. Also, early on in our government we were successful in convincing Raytheon Australia’s naval systems division to come to the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia, and recently I opened its research facility. We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: I think everyone is aware that the government is very keen to promote and invest in the shipbuilding industry in Western Australia. The shipbuilding industry in Western Australia is highly successful. Our historic connection with the sea was through the fishing industry. During the Second World War, very important defence functions were performed in and around Fremantle as part of the defence of the nation. In recent times, all these influences have come together to create a magnificent industry that exports all over the world. I was at Austal Ships Pty Ltd recently. It had just finished a magnificent new high-speed ferry that has now been taken on by a Greek shipping company to transport tourists around the Greek Islands. That ship is now playing a role in the Greek tourism industry. The shipbuilding industry is very much an export industry. It also involves a tremendous amount of skilled labour and creates wealth and opportunities for many Western Australians. We have been promoting the shipbuilding industry in the context of the defence precinct south of Fremantle in Henderson, and also further south at Naval Base. Over the past couple of years Western Australia has won the $300 million contract for the Armidale-class patrol boats, the two ANZAC-class frigates upgrades, and the Navy tanker upgrade. Also, early on in our government we were successful in convincing Raytheon Australia’s naval systems division to come to the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia, and recently I opened its research facility. We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
I think everyone is aware that the government is very keen to promote and invest in the shipbuilding industry in Western Australia. The shipbuilding industry in Western Australia is highly successful. Our historic connection with the sea was through the fishing industry. During the Second World War, very important defence functions were performed in and around Fremantle as part of the defence of the nation. In recent times, all these influences have come together to create a magnificent industry that exports all over the world. I was at Austal Ships Pty Ltd recently. It had just finished a magnificent new high-speed ferry that has now been taken on by a Greek shipping company to transport tourists around the Greek Islands. That ship is now playing a role in the Greek tourism industry. The shipbuilding industry is very much an export industry. It also involves a tremendous amount of skilled labour and creates wealth and opportunities for many Western Australians. We have been promoting the shipbuilding industry in the context of the defence precinct south of Fremantle in Henderson, and also further south at Naval Base. Over the past couple of years Western Australia has won the $300 million contract for the Armidale-class patrol boats, the two ANZAC-class frigates upgrades, and the Navy tanker upgrade. Also, early on in our government we were successful in convincing Raytheon Australia’s naval systems division to come to the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia, and recently I opened its research facility. We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
We have been promoting the shipbuilding industry in the context of the defence precinct south of Fremantle in Henderson, and also further south at Naval Base. Over the past couple of years Western Australia has won the $300 million contract for the Armidale-class patrol boats, the two ANZAC-class frigates upgrades, and the Navy tanker upgrade. Also, early on in our government we were successful in convincing Raytheon Australia’s naval systems division to come to the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia, and recently I opened its research facility. We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: I think everyone is aware that the government is very keen to promote and invest in the shipbuilding industry in Western Australia. The shipbuilding industry in Western Australia is highly successful. Our historic connection with the sea was through the fishing industry. During the Second World War, very important defence functions were performed in and around Fremantle as part of the defence of the nation. In recent times, all these influences have come together to create a magnificent industry that exports all over the world. I was at Austal Ships Pty Ltd recently. It had just finished a magnificent new high-speed ferry that has now been taken on by a Greek shipping company to transport tourists around the Greek Islands. That ship is now playing a role in the Greek tourism industry. The shipbuilding industry is very much an export industry. It also involves a tremendous amount of skilled labour and creates wealth and opportunities for many Western Australians. We have been promoting the shipbuilding industry in the context of the defence precinct south of Fremantle in Henderson, and also further south at Naval Base. Over the past couple of years Western Australia has won the $300 million contract for the Armidale-class patrol boats, the two ANZAC-class frigates upgrades, and the Navy tanker upgrade. Also, early on in our government we were successful in convincing Raytheon Australia’s naval systems division to come to the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia, and recently I opened its research facility. We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
I think everyone is aware that the government is very keen to promote and invest in the shipbuilding industry in Western Australia. The shipbuilding industry in Western Australia is highly successful. Our historic connection with the sea was through the fishing industry. During the Second World War, very important defence functions were performed in and around Fremantle as part of the defence of the nation. In recent times, all these influences have come together to create a magnificent industry that exports all over the world. I was at Austal Ships Pty Ltd recently. It had just finished a magnificent new high-speed ferry that has now been taken on by a Greek shipping company to transport tourists around the Greek Islands. That ship is now playing a role in the Greek tourism industry. The shipbuilding industry is very much an export industry. It also involves a tremendous amount of skilled labour and creates wealth and opportunities for many Western Australians. We have been promoting the shipbuilding industry in the context of the defence precinct south of Fremantle in Henderson, and also further south at Naval Base. Over the past couple of years Western Australia has won the $300 million contract for the Armidale-class patrol boats, the two ANZAC-class frigates upgrades, and the Navy tanker upgrade. Also, early on in our government we were successful in convincing Raytheon Australia’s naval systems division to come to the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia, and recently I opened its research facility. We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
We have been promoting the shipbuilding industry in the context of the defence precinct south of Fremantle in Henderson, and also further south at Naval Base. Over the past couple of years Western Australia has won the $300 million contract for the Armidale-class patrol boats, the two ANZAC-class frigates upgrades, and the Navy tanker upgrade. Also, early on in our government we were successful in convincing Raytheon Australia’s naval systems division to come to the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia, and recently I opened its research facility. We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
We are doing well. We have a good skills base and good infrastructure, and we want to develop that into the future. We have joined forces with South Australia to give both our states a maximum opportunity to win key defence contracts. That has been a good partnership. As I said recently in the Parliament, we congratulate South Australia on its recent win to build new vessels for the Australian Navy. A new $2 billion amphibious vessel contract will be coming up soon. That is a major contract, and we are well placed in Western Australia to win that contract. We have made a commitment that should the amphibious vessel project come to Western Australia, we will invest in additional strategic investment to support that project. Therefore, it has caused us great disappointment and concern to learn that the federal government is canvassing building these amphibious vessels overseas. The amphibious ships contract is worth up to $2 million over 10 years and up to 2 000 jobs. I am very pleased to say that I have written to the Prime Minister about the important issues associated with this contract for not just Western Australia, but also the sustainability of our defence industries in Australia. To put it simply, John Howard is looking at exporting thousands of jobs overseas, when we know that we have the infrastructure and the skills to perform these tasks to the highest quality for the Australian people. If that were to happen, it would be a betrayal of monumental proportions not only of Australia generally, but also of the money Western Australian taxpayers have contributed and of the effort of industry to make sure we have high-quality project facilitation in Western Australia. This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
This is another example of the sort of vision we get from Canberra these days. The Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources wants to lower wages, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations wants to make it easier to sack workers and the Prime Minister wants to send jobs overseas. That is no vision for the future of our great nation. Make no mistake: while the commonwealth government goes on about making it easier for workers to be dismissed and pursues a policy to reduce wages and export jobs overseas, we will build the infrastructure and skills to provide jobs for the future of Western Australia.
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