Submarine Program

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:54): My question is for the Treasurer again. Now that the competitive evaluation process deadline is closed for the federal government's Future Submarine program, will the Treasurer outline what the state government has offered to each of the bidders?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:55): I would have thought—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: A minister has risen to answer the question. The next person on two warnings who interjects will be out. The minister.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: I would have thought the shadow minister for defence industries would know that the Minister for Defence Industries has responsibility for this matter; he has been here long enough to work that out. The competitive evaluation process—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The members for Chaffey, Davenport and Mount Gambier are all warned.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: I assume they are interested in an answer to the question, sir. The competitive evaluation process for the submarine project C1000 is being managed by the commonwealth. The state government has offered no special package of financial incentives to any of the three bidders, which was the thrust of your question. We are waiting to hear from the commonwealth their response to the three bids they received on 30 November.

Of course, the government has provisioned extensively and invested extensively in Techport—something that is well known to members opposite. We have built significant infrastructure and capability to support naval shipbuilding, but we have not been asked nor have we provided at this particular juncture any specific basket of financial incentives to any of the bidders. We will have to see what the commonwealth comes up with in the future in way of response to the bids.

But I would simply say that there is no more important jobs decision that this country and this state has faced since World War II than to see naval shipbuilding in Australia put back on its feet. These are very important decisions for our state, for workers today, for their children and for their grandchildren, because this will go on for 30 to 40 years.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary, member for Stuart.