Today some Members of Parliament will sign a hollow union pledge promising to advocate for “all naval ships and submarines to be designed, built and maintained in Australia”.
This pledge is meaningless because it ignores the involvement of international companies that has been essential for all of Australia's recent major shipbuilding projects.
The Collins Class Submarine relied upon design by Swedish company Kockums, US combat systems by Rockwell and French power and propulsion by Jeumont Schneider.
The Air Warfare Destroyer is based on design by Spanish company Navantia and combat systems manufactured by US company Lockheed Martin.
International collaboration has long been and will continue to be essential for the acquisition of naval vessels that meet the needs of Australia's defence forces.
We will not engage in cheap stunts by signing worthless pledges. Nor will we vilify our international allies and necessary partners in effective procurement.
However, we will stand up for South Australia and South Australian jobs.
We will ensure decisions on future submarine procurement and sustainment deliver more jobs for South Australia. In doing so we will ensure the future of shipbuilding jobs and businesses at Osborne.
Unlike Labor our government will make the decisions required to deliver security to South Australia's shipbuilding workforce.
Labor promised to build new submarines at both the 2007 and 2010 elections, but delivered no progress whatsoever.
Next year we will release a new defence white paper that outlines the capability our navy needs and helps to deliver certainty for South Australia.
South Australians can be confident that, after years of Labor inaction, our government will actually budget for new submarines, make decisions to build them and deliver more jobs for South Australia.
Joint Media Statement: The Hon Christopher Pyne MP, The Hon Jamie Briggs MP, Senator The Hon Simon Birmingham, Dr Andrew Southcott MP, Senator Cory Bernardi, Rowan Ramsey MP, Senator David Fawcett, Senator Anne Ruston, Senator Sean Edwards, Tony Pasin MP, Matt Williams MP