AIR WARFARE DESTROYER

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:39): My question is to the Premier. Did he check with Kevin Rudd or Labor's defence spokesperson to see if they agreed with him before he called in parliament on 25 September '07 for the federal government's committing in writing to a fourth air warfare destroyer? Labor's spokesperson has publicly disagreed with the Premier when he stated on 8 November '07 that federal Labor would not support a fourth air warfare destroyer. Mr Fitzgibbon went further and suggested publicly that justification must be established, and the cost of the total project better known, and that the project would be reviewed if a federal Labor government was elected.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:40): Talking about didn't check! I recall being there when the USS Lassen, the American Arleigh Burke class air warfare destroyer, was here. I am going to get to that, but you are going to sizzle a bit before I get to the answer, sunshine! I went down and saw the USS Lassen Arleigh Burke class destroyer, the Gibbs & Cox design, competing against the Spaniards. (We had a Spanish ship in earlier.) He could not help himself, this alternative premier who practices every morning in front of the mirror. He races down to Outer Harbor and calls on the government—the Premier and myself—to back him and to back the American design because that was the better option for Australia.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: He must have had inside information.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That is what many people in the media thought. They thought he could not have done this unless he had inside information.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Here he goes! He is still calling for the American design. This government has conducted itself professionally with the federal government the whole way through the air warfare destroyer contract, and the Leader of the Opposition right at the eleventh hour, because he wants a headline, he cannot help himself, calls for the American design. I pick up my mobile phone, I ring Senator Nick Minchin (with whom I have had a very good working relationship regarding the air warfare destroyer), and I said, 'Nick.' 'Kevin, how are you?' 'Good, thanks. I've got Martin Hamilton-Smith—'

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Ah! He says, 'Be careful.' That is good. That is factual.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yeah, right, sunshine. I made the point to Senator Minchin that—

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I made the point to Senator Minchin that I did not think it was particularly productive or helpful for the commonwealth or the state to have a Liberal Leader of the Opposition barracking for one design against another, and Senator Minchin agreed. He thought that was unwise. My recollection of the conversation was that Senator Minchin was none too happy that the Leader of the Opposition had weighed into this issue in the manner that he did.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You think so, do you? Right. Trust me on this one, sir. Senator Minchin was none too happy that the honourable member had used the opportunity of the Lassen being in Adelaide to barrack for one side over another, because there was a competitive tender process underway. But that is his form. He will say anything to get a headline. Whether he wrecks or damages due process does not bother him, because he is a Kamikaze when it comes to public policy in this state.

On the issue of the fourth air warfare destroyer, the reason we have an option, and we hope the commonwealth takes up the option for a fourth air warfare destroyer, is simply because they chose the Spanish design. Had they chosen the American design—a heavier ship with more missiles and a costlier program—there would have been no need for a fourth ship. So if we had gone with the preference of the Leader of the Opposition, we would not be here arguing for a fourth ship.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I have just been told by—

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: So you have been told that there was a fourth—

Mr Hamilton-Smith: We seem to know more about it than you do.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, well, I do not think you are right.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sir, the Leader of the Opposition talks nonsense. There was not a fourth ship on the table with the USArleigh Burke design, because of the cost and the size. The Spanish design is a small smaller ship and a less expensive ship that gives the commonwealth government the opportunity, should it take it up, to get a fourth ship. Kevin Rudd, of course, has already committed to the next generation of submarines being built here in Adelaide.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I have a point of order, sir. The opposition has taken many points of order but they themselves will not respect standing orders. The interjections are endless.

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The shadow defence minister has said what any fiscally responsible shadow defence minister would say during an election campaign; that is, he is not in a position to make a decision on a fourth air warfare destroyer with two weeks to go to an election.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: He did not rule it out. He said that it would be lunacy—or words to that effect—to make a decision in the last two weeks of an election campaign when he does not have access to the full briefing on the program and the full financial implications of a fourth ship. That is an eminently sensible, fiscally conservative and prudent decision to make, unlike the Leader of the Opposition and unlike John Howard who will spend their way back into power. Being a good government is about having fiscally responsible policies.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: There's a funny thing about the alternate premier. Do members remember when he was a minister—he spent three months as a minister. When we came to office—

Ms CHAPMAN: I have a point of order, sir. The Deputy Premier is clearly impugning a member of the house and debating the matter.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Deputy Premier not to respond to interjections. I call the member for Hammond.