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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-02-20 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Hunter Class Frigate Program

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. When did the Premier receive advice to indicate that the Hunter class shipbuilding program would be reduced from nine ships to six? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Australian Industry and Defence Network Chief Executive Officer, Brent Clark, said six Hunter class frigates would not meet the federal government's promise of a continuous naval shipbuilding program in South Australia.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:12): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. Let me start with the first part of his question. I was in the privileged position to be able to have a high-level briefing—not all of the detail but a high level briefing—with the defence minister late on Friday of last week, which I am grateful for. Of course, we have seen a lot more detail being announced today. That detail, I am very pleased to be able to inform the house, guarantees a surface shipbuilding, continuous build effort in South Australia for—

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: And, Mr Speaker, it is important for people to appreciate that they don't have to take my word for it; they can actually rely on the words of those people who work in the industry. Having just had the opportunity to be with the Deputy Premier down at Osborne, I think it is fair to say that there is a sense of relief, but also genuine excitement about the future that we now have ahead of us.

I was with Craig Lockhart, who many in this place will be familiar with, who of course is responsible for the delivery of the surface shipbuilding program here in Australia, including at Osborne. Craig is a good and strong leader at BAE, who clearly has the regard of the workforce around him. Mr Lockhart was able to explain the situation in a set of words that I think are succinct that give a bit of context about today's announcement.

He said, and these are his words more than mine, that there was always a plan for three blocks of three surface ships to be built, which, of course, adds up to nine. Today's announcement will see that the first six of those three are of the Anti-submarine Warfare type represented in the Hunter class and then following that we will see a replacement to the Air Warfare Destroyer type, which means we now have a continuous shipbuilding program. An important bit of context for all to contemplate is that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —in the Hunter10—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —the Hunter program, the sixth ship will conclude in the early 2040s—the early 2040s—and then following that we will see the Air Warfare Destroyer—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —program that will follow. I appreciate that it is the institutional function of those opposite to seek to undermine what is otherwise being universally praised—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —from the workforce down there today. I can't stress enough that it filled me with extraordinary pride to be with literally hundreds upon hundreds of young men and women today who now have the benefit, for the first time, of a budgeted program to actually build the frigates.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Tier 1, for the ships to be built right here in South Australia in a way that is sustained and ongoing—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett is warned.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: And I invite those opposite to adopt—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is warned.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —the bipartisan approach that has underpinned the continuous shipbuilding program—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —to get it to this point.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I look forward to hopefully that being sustained into the future.

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