SENATOR PENNY WONG, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE: Thanks very much for coming. Its really good to be here with team South Australia - Peter Malinauskas, the Leader of the Opposition in South Australia, the Labor Party Leader in South Australia and my dear friend Susan Close who is actually the local member for the area where the submarines are going to be constructed.
We want to talk today about the Future Submarines Project. This is something Federal and State Labor have been campaigning on for years. Lets remember Prime Minister Abbott walked away from the commitment to build them in South Australia, walked away from the commitment to Australian jobs and Australian content and it was only the actions of Federal Labor and State Labor that ensured this project came back to Australia.
Before the last election Christopher Pyne told South Australians that the local build, the local content, the Australian content of this, largest procurement in Australian history would be 90 percent. He said there will be 90 percent, thats the figure. Then it became 60 percent.
Well guess what we learnt today in Senate Estimates? There is no minimum Australian content for our submarines project. No minimum number of Australian jobs. No minimum percentage of Australian content, utterly contrary to the promises which were made by Christopher Pyne and others before the last election.
So it is one thing before an election and after an election it becomes clear - no guaranteed Australian minimum content in the largest procurement project in Australias history despite what Christopher Pyne said.
And what was even more extraordinary, and this goes to the values of the Morrison Government, what was confirmed today in Senate Estimates was that the government didnt even ask those negotiating this agreement to try to get a minimum Australian content. I asked was this part of your negotiating remit? and the answer was no. So not only did they not achieve it, this Morrison Government didnt even try to achieve a minimum local content.
PETER MALINAUSKAS, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LABOR LEADER: Thanks very much Penny. Well this mornings revelation in Estimates is nothing short of stunning. We are now about to embark on the largest procurement that the country has ever entered, a $50 billion investment in submarines.
The whole argument behind building submarines in South Australia is about delivering sovereign capability to our nation, an extraordinary opportunity for jobs in South Australia. And now it turns out that our Federal Government has essentially vacated the field when it comes to ensuring local jobs in South Australia.
How can the nation be embarking on the largest ever procurement in its history without even contemplating negotiating a local content requirement in a strategic partnership agreement?
Now last week the Premier of South Australia and Christopher Pyne signed this agreement. There was very little fanfare, very little news out of this agreement and now we know why. This Government has had something to hide. The South Australian Premier should be ashamed of the fact that he has not done his core job, his main job, which is to stand up for South Australia and South Australians getting the jobs that we were promised.
As Penny correctly articulated Christopher Pyne promised at least 60 percent of local content when it comes to the submarine production and now we learn there is no guarantee at all.
This is an extraordinary blow to South Australians who have been generally looking forward to this great opportunity. We know that this submarine project represents an extraordinary opportunity for jobs in South Australia provided it delivers everything that Christopher Pyne has promised. Now we learn that we have got a South Australian Premier who is not standing up for South Australian jobs, just as he hasnt stood up for South Australia on the River Murray.
JOURNALIST: Senator, should Australia ban the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia?
WONG: I heard some of that questioning this morning and the framework around the sale of weapons is one that has been in place for a long time and that framework should be observed.
JOURNALIST: Senator the CFMEU in Queensland is asking why Labor wont back in the Adani coal mine. Is Labor split on this issue of coal, particularly after Richard Marles said this morning it would be wonderful if the market for thermal coal collapsed?
WONG: Coal prices are a matter for international markets. But what I would say is this, on Adani we have always made clear that the project has to stack up. It has to stack up environmentally and it has to stack up financially and we have made clear we wouldnt be putting taxpayer funds into it.
JOURNALIST: On the submarines, if you were to implement a quota at Osborne would that make the contract cost go up?
WONG: Well I know that is what the Government may be briefing but that is not what they said before the election. That is not what they said before the election. And we do think that it is important to have sovereign capability.
Obviously if we are elected to government we will have to deal with this issue within the framework that this Coalition Morrison Government has set which clearly does not include a minimum standard.
JOURNALIST: Senator what do you make of Michaelia Cashs performance in Estimates?
WONG: Quite extraordinary actually. I have to say there is a lot of politics in this building and there is a lot of political attack and political parrying but I am deeply offended by the suggestion that, in a democracy like Australia, members of ministerial staff could break the law, could try to utilise the instruments of state to pursue a political opponent and that the cabinet ministers responsible for their employment could avoid cooperating with police.
This is this is the stuff of authoritarian regimes it is not the stuff of a liberal democracy like Australia where we respect the rule of law and the independence of the police. And that she could turn up to Estimates and simply try to, again, turn this into some political attack with no shame around the fact that she did not cooperate with Federal Police is extraordinary. And if these are the standards of the Morrison Government what I would say to Australians is you should expect better standards of all politicians.
JOURNALIST: Are you comfortable with refugees being transferred on medical grounds directly to Christmas Island?
WONG: Ive seen some commentary about this. We were really clear when we approached this issue that we had two key policy propositions. One is to retain strong border policy and the second is to ensure people get the medical care they need and I would assess Christmas Island on that basis.
JOURNALIST: So is it fine then for them to be sent to Christmas Island?
WONG: What we want is for them to get the medical care they need wherever that may be.
JOURNALIST: (unclear)
WONG: We would not be in the position that we find ourselves in - and we all know the history and the lengthy period of detention in relation to this cohort, and I think Australians do understand it is possible to ensure you get appropriate medical treatment in accordance with advice from medical practitioners without compromising border protection.
JOURNALIST: Scott Morrison is heading to New Zealand on Friday. Now New Zealand has made it clear it is unhappy with the habit of sending criminals back. Would a Labor Government send quite so many people back to New Zealand?
WONG: That is a matter for my colleague Mr Neumann to be responding on that. But character tests have been part of the immigration test for some period. I also am aware that obviously we have a very close relationship New Zealand and these matters will need to be discussed.
JOURNALIST: So has it been handled inappropriately by the Government?
WONG: Well thats a matter for Mr Neumann.
JOURNALIST: New South Wales Water Minister Niall Blair said last night they were prepared to walk away from the Murray Darling Basin plan if Labors buybacks took place. Is this a misguided position for Labor?
WONG: You know what is misguided? Misguided is having the National Party undermine a plan that took so many years to develop. What is misguided - and I can speak as the Water Minister who was minister at the time the intergovernmental agreement to deal with the Murray Darling Basin was agreed - what was misguided was Malcom Turnbulls capitulation to the Nationals which has been continued by Mr Morrison. Allowing the National Partys internal politics and National Party politics to drive the water agenda which has led to the plan being compromised.
JOURNALIST: But on buybacks.
WONG: I was the Water Minister who bought a lot of water for the River and I did that because that was what was required. And maybe people should be telling communities the truth about the over allocation in the Murray Darling Basin rather than, frankly, drumming up fear which the National Party are very good at doing.
JOURNALIST: Just a follow-up on the Yemen question, you dont have any concerns these weapons sold by Australia could end up in Yemen?
WONG: As I understand the evidence today, and Ive referred to the evidence today, there is a framework in place that should be observed. We are all deeply concerned about the situation in Yemen and the humanitarian crisis and I have made public comments about that.
JOURNALIST: Just on Syria there was a discussion about this in Estimates this morning. Do you think the Australian Government, they are saying they didnt have any concerns about the pull out in Syria, do you think they should have? Do you think there is enough force protection around the troops we already have in Iraq?
WONG: Well I have confidence in the ADF that they will work with our American counterparts to identify and manage risks to Australian personnel as was outlined in Estimates today. I thought it was a useful discussion and we do have confidence in the ADF that they will do so.
Authorised by Noah Carroll, ALP, Canberra.