Government’s defence export strategy

RICHARD MARLES, SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE:  Labor has long supported an Australian defence industry and we've long been strong supporters of an Australian defence industry that has, at its heart, the capacity to export.

 

We understand the sovereign capability which comes from having an Australian defence industry that supports the Australian Defence Force. So we see defence industry in terms of Australia's broader security policy.

 

It was Labor which first committed to the build of 12 submarines and building them here in Australia. Since coming to power this government has done nothing but trash Australia's defence industry. It was one of the many Defence Ministers of this Government which famously said of the Australian defence industry that it could not build a canoe.  And since coming to power under the Coalition we've seen thousands of jobs lost particularly in the surface shipbuilding sector.  Critical procurement projects such as the Australian supply ship being sent to Spain to help their defence industry, not doing a lot to build sovereign capability or jobs here in Australia.

 

So today's announcement is playing catch up footy. Catch up footy having done so much on the part of the Coalition to damage the defence industry in this country and to damage industry more generally.  Remember it was under this Government that we saw the loss of the Australian car manufacturing sector. We actually need thoughtful development of the defence industry policy in this country, that's what Labor is committed to providing. It'd be nice if we actually saw a vision from this Government about how to build a defence industry.

 

All we got today was window dressing and a sound bite.

 ENDS