defence Shipbuilding

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (15:08): My question is to the Minister for Defence Industries. Can the minister inform the house about what the South Australian government is doing to retain naval shipbuilding projects in South Australia?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:08): I thank the member for Taylor, because I can advise the house of what is going on. Can I just start by saying that there is probably no more important decision for manufacturing in this state since World War II than this decision about what is going to happen with naval shipbuilding. We have lost Holden and all the automotive jobs that go with it, and if through mismanagement or poor policy or bad government we now lose naval shipbuilding in this state, it will have a catastrophic effect upon tens of thousands of Australian workers and their families, it will close business after business, and it will have a very catastrophic effect on the future of this state.

It is vital that action be taken, and the Premier has called for a coordinated and constructive approach to be developed between the states and key industry associations to ensure major defence projects are not tendered overseas. The Premier and I have written to the premiers of New South Wales and Victoria calling on them to join with South Australia and lobby the commonwealth on future projects. The Premier spoke to Premier Baird and Premier Napthine yesterday morning, and they said they were both keen to develop a cooperative plan to help Australian industry to be more competitive.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Well, they don't seem to be very interested, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: They don't seem to be very interested. They don't seem to care, particularly the member for Finniss, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I can only presume the opposition is looking for someone to leave the room if they continue in this fashion. The minister is entitled to be heard in silence, and I would ask you to listen to the answer.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: And I will tell you why, Madam Deputy Speaker: because it is a Coalition government in Canberra which is threatening to build submarines in Japan and build naval ships overseas, not in this state.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

Mr GARDNER: The minister is debating: 98.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have taken advice. I am listening to the answer, and we are waiting for him to continue in silence, otherwise I won't be able to give you a ruling.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Hammond is given another tick, which means you are on two.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: MacKillop, you can have another one. You are on one.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am answering the question—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I know you will.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —about what the government is doing to retain naval shipbuilding because there is a threat, there is a risk, and that risk has to do with promises that were made prior to the last election that submarines would be built in Adelaide, centred here. I know they were made. The Leader of the Opposition knows they were made. The shadow minister for defence knows they were made because they were made to all of us—not just on this side. The promises were made to members opposite as well.

Mr Marshall: What is your point?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: My point is very simple: this parliament and this state face a potential crisis and that is—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: No. No, that is a potential decision for a Coalition government to build 12 submarines in Japan or overseas—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —to spend $250 billion of taxpayers'—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sit down!

Mr Gardner: Stop undermining the Deputy Speaker.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well, you have done that on your side and it is an embarrassment to the house. I have asked you to listen to the answer and you won't do it. You've got loaded bases and you are leaving me no choice. Two or three of you will have to leave the next time someone's lips move. The member for Chaffey is given a warning as well. MacKillop, you are on one tick and Morphett is on two. Please don't embarrass the house by your bad behaviour.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker—$250 billion of the Australian taxpayer's money is on the table over the next 30 years to build naval ships; one-third of it will be spent buying the ships or building the ships, two-thirds of it will be spent sustaining the ships. I ask you: what government could spend that $250 billion overseas creating jobs and enterprise in somebody else's country?

Mr Whetstone: What are you doing about it?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: I hope the answer to that question is not a Coalition government—and the question is not what I am doing about it: the Premier and I are taking action. The question is: what are you doing about it? What are they doing about it, Madam Deputy Speaker?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sit down!

Mr Marshall: Throw him out!

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I won't be throwing him out. I will have to throw someone here out—and it won't be one person. I did ask for your cooperation; you can't provide it. Clearly, you can't listen to the answer in silence. We have taken advice: he can answer the question in any way he wishes. The member for Chaffey is given a warning, and it will be the very next person who moves their lips. Don't embarrass the house on this important day.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: And your point of order is?

Ms CHAPMAN: Whilst we fully appreciate that you have indicated that the minister can answer as he wishes—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Correct.

Ms CHAPMAN: —the fact is, quite simply, the minister is entering into debate—poor as it might be. He is entering into debate, making demands of the government. This is question time of the government, not of us. This is poor debate, and it is in breach of the orders.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Madam Deputy Speaker, can I—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You need to wind up.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I can't hear what he is saying anyway, because you're all screaming. It is an embarrassment to this house that you're continuing in this fashion in question time.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: He is winding up.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That's correct; that's the ruling.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Around two minutes of time has been taken up by—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That doesn't matter—

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —vexatious and pointless interjections from members opposite.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your time has been—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! That's it, I think. Next question, let's move on. Member for Adelaide, you have one more.