AIR WARFARE DESTROYER

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:42): My question is to the Premier. Has he failed to deliver on his promise to demand that a fourth vessel be built as part of the air warfare destroyer program at ASC Osborne?

In parliament on 20 June 2007, and in a public statement on 5 August, and at other times in the lead-up to the last federal election, the Premier personally led the people of South Australia to expect that he would ensure that Labor would deliver a fourth vessel, but on 16 February 2008 it was reported that the federal Labor Party had decided against a fourth destroyer and that it would not be built. Has the fourth vessel been torpedoed, Premier?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:42): We have had the breaking news today of the 20 March election next year. I can also announce that Tasmania will be going to the polls on the same day. Just in terms of this: who was it who came out publicly against the Navantia Spanish design ship? The Leader of the Opposition.

The Leader of the Opposition opposed the building of the air warfare destroyer with a Spanish design in Adelaide. He came out against it. At a very critical time in the negotiations he came out against Adelaide's case. He white-anted the ship that has starred in the Spanish Armada.

We will know within a month or so whether we have been successful in getting a fourth ship or 12 brand new submarines. So, if members opposite want to put their industry credentials on defence against ours, we have won the biggest defence contract in the history of Australia. We have won $14 billion worth of defence contracts and we are going in hard to win the next generation of submarines built here in South Australia, $20 billion worth. When we win it, no doubt the opposition will be whinging once again, because it always puts itself and its party ahead of this state.