Question Time

Defence Shipbuilding

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:17): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain whether his comments from 25 August 2022 relating to a proposal by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia have led to any tangible outcomes for South Australia? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: On 25 August last year, the Premier said that he supports Navantia's proposal to build three new air warfare destroyers including that he would, and I quote:

…be advocating to the federal government in Canberra on behalf of the people in South Australia to ensure our state is in the best possible position to seize this opportunity.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:18): Thank you to the Leader of the Opposition for this question. The short answer to his question is that at every single moment that I have had the chance to advocate for South Australia's naval shipbuilding program in a number of different forms, I have grabbed it and seized it. Those opposite have sought to illuminate the public on various occasions when I have sought to engage with the Minister for Defence and the Deputy Prime Minister, but I continue this advocacy and I will be keeping it up pretty fulsomely right up until the moment that we see a decision from the commonwealth in respect to the AUKUS decision.

I am firmly of the view that both the AUKUS decision that we are expecting in coming weeks along with the response to the strategic defence review represents one of the most substantial commonwealth commitments to the state of South Australia to advance our economic complexity that we have seen in our history. This has been a program of works that has enjoyed bipartisan support going right back to when the member for Dunstan, the former Premier, invited me to the Euronaval conference in France back in 2018-19.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned for a final time.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: This is something that I know those opposite want to make sure happens in our state, as does everybody on this side of the house. I have been rather forthright with the Deputy Prime Minister and also the Prime Minister on our expectations around that decision, and we have every confidence that when it is announced in a few weeks' time it is one that will stand South Australia in good stead for a long time to come.

The SPEAKER: I see the member for Morphett, and I remind the member for Chaffey he is on a final warning.