FUTURE SUBMARINE PROJECT

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (14:19): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier inform the house about the importance of the Future Submarine Project to South Australia's economic future?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:19): This government is proud that Techport at Port Adelaide is the hub of Australia's naval manufacturing industry and has been selected as the site for the assembly of the 12 new submarines. Over the course of this year, the federal government has made a number of announcements which have reinforced the importance of South Australia's maritime defence manufacturing capability, most recently its decision to locate the Future Submarine centre here in Adelaide. In addition, the federal government invested $214 million in the last budget to commence planning for the project to select which of the four broad designs it would choose.

Some of the options are, of course, more favourable for South Australia than others but all of them are very good options for South Australia. All of them require the assembly of submarines in South Australia. The word 'assembly' I do not think does justice to the sophistication of pulling together a submarine in the fashion that is necessary for a modern device of that sophistication.

Over the last few days, there has been quite a bit of media speculation about purchase or lease of nuclear submarines from the United States. This would lead to the end of South Australia's submarine building and maintenance industry. As the federal Minister for Defence made clear in the Financial Review today, acquiring nuclear-powered submarines would involve outsourcing the construction, maintenance and sustainment of the submarines to another country. This would be a devastating result for South Australia's advanced manufacturing industry, as well as the capability of defence industry sectors as a whole.

I would not quarantine from that the whole opportunity that many companies see of coming here to be part of both the defence sector and the mining sector, so this does strike at the heart of the opportunities that exist here in South Australia. The Gillard government has clearly ruled out the nuclear option but senior Coalition frontbenchers are briefing the media that the Liberals are considering nuclear subs. No party—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No party who cares about the South Australian economy would contemplate such a devastating decision. We know from the federal Liberal Party's proposition about GST and the River Murray—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Madam Speaker: 98. We are straying from the substance of the question.

The SPEAKER: I am listening carefully to the debate and I do not uphold that at this stage. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: This is absolutely central, Madam Speaker. If those opposite do not think the Coalition's policy concerning nuclear submarines has any relevance to South Australia—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Madam Speaker: 98 again. The Premier is now clearly debating the issue.

The SPEAKER: He is referring back to your point of order. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is now very clear that it is time for Tony Abbott and the federal Liberals to make clear their position on ruling out this nuclear subs plan once and for all.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order. Member for Morialta, if you have not—

Mr GARDNER: The Premier has been directed back to the question and he is going on with the debate.

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, he is referring back to the question. He is answering it in his own way. I cannot direct the Premier to answer it in any other way. He considers this relevant to his answer.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Madam Speaker, what could be more centrally—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order, the member for Bragg.

Members interjecting:

Ms CHAPMAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am the one who knows you are in charge. Thank you. The question was—and this is a question of relevance—the benefit of the submarine contract to South Australia. It has nothing to do with the federal opposition's policy, nor is the Premier responsible for federal opposition policy. Not at all.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Bragg, but the question is very broad ranging and, if the Premier considers this part of his answer, he can continue.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Madam Speaker, this represents a clear and present danger to South Australia's Future Submarine ambitions. Madam Speaker, there is just one question for those opposite: are they prepared to stand up for South Australia and get their federal Liberal colleagues to rule out this crazy idea? It is a simple proposition. All they have to do is stand up for South Australia and—

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, Madam Speaker. Without any doubt the Premier is contravening standing order 98 when he says, 'All they have to do.' It is nothing to do with answering the question at all.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, you have made your point of order and you can sit down but, as I said before and have previously ruled, the Premier can answer it as he chooses.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: This is a time for all South Australians to join together to advocate for the Future Submarine capability here in South Australia, and I ask those opposite to join with us in placing pressure on their federal colleagues to make sure that the crazy decision to go for nuclear subs is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Can we have some order from the left please. Have you finished your answer, Premier? I'm sorry, I could not hear you for the interjections from the other side. We will have some order. The Leader of the Opposition.