Techport Australia

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:28): My question is for the Premier. Has the government been advised that upgrading the common-user facility at Techport will create shipbuilding opportunities for South Australia and, if so, why has the government not committed to an upgrade?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:29): Well, there is a very simple answer to the member's question, and that is because the Liberal Party in Canberra has not yet made its mind up as to where submarines, frigates and offshore patrol vessels will be built. It would not be—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: I am being fairly civil, Mr Speaker. I haven't said anything to upset members opposite, but they are interjecting. If they want me to, I will have quite a bit to say.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Are you finished? I'm trying to answer the question. Are you finished? Thank you. We have already invested $250 million of the taxpayers' money at Techport which enabled us to win the air warfare destroyer program and build a platform upon which we can then bid for frigates, submarines and offshore patrol vessels. A quarter of a billion dollars is a lot of taxpayers' money already invested. To then go on and spend yet more, without any guarantee that work and deal flow will be put into the shipyard by the Coalition government in Canberra, would be most unwise. Just 18 months ago—

Mr Marshall: If only they'd talked to you.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: If the Leader of the Opposition has one constructive contribution to make about defence industries, we would like to hear it, because there hasn't been one in four years. I would simply say this, Mr Speaker, that 18 months ago the Coalition in Canberra was within weeks of announcing that there would be eight submarines built in Japan. This has been well canvassed in the media. Billions of dollars worth of work was going to be outsourced to somebody else's country instead of our own.

Only because of the campaign run by this government, with the support of the industry and the unions, has that been stopped. What did members opposite do to stop it? Absolutely nothing. We have done work on expanding the shipyard at Osborne which the taxpayers of South Australia, through this government, own. We will be prepared to talk to the private sector and the commonwealth about further investing in Techport if tomorrow's white paper confirms that submarines and frigates are to be built in this state. But there is a far more important issue.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Did they?

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Gentlemen, you really need to get a new leader. You really need to get one with some experience and some business acumen. There are choices. You could have the member for Bragg. She's got her knife into every leader since she's been there.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: You're the one, lady!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Will the minister be seated, please.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Point of order. Is there some breach I haven't noticed?

Mr KNOLL: Surely, we have entered into debate, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order. Minister.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: I don't know what came over me, Mr Speaker. I was having nightmares from the past. I will move on. The government stands ready to talk to the commonwealth and the private sector about new investment in Techport, but it all hinges on this (and this is the key issue to watch for tomorrow): the offshore patrol vessels. I make this prediction: wherever the offshore patrol vessels are built is where the frigates will be built. If the offshore patrol vessels are built in Adelaide, we will get the frigates; if the offshore patrol vessels are built in Perth, they will bid for the frigates and we will be back to where we were years ago in a fight between the states over where this work will go. So, it's back to you.

The SPEAKER: Alas! The minister's time has expired.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: It's back to the Liberal Party. It's back to the Coalition. Give the work to South Australian businesses and workers.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Supplementary.

Mr Bell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Mount Gambier! I always like to help the backbench out. The member for Stuart.