Senator GALLACHER (South Australia) (15:01): I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston, to questions without notice asked by Senators Conroy and Lines today relating to the manufacture of the next fleet of Australian submarines and to Australian Defence Force terms and conditions. The answers given by the minister, Senator Johnson, today to Senator Conroy clearly elucidated the situation we find ourselves in with this minister. He has no idea that the Prime Minister's office is backgrounding, is working at odds with the defence minister's portfolio. What is very, very clear is that 84 per cent of South Australians support the next generation of submarines to be built locally. We are almost approaching the majority of South Australian Liberal members of parliament supporting the next generation being built in Adelaide and honouring that promise that the minister made on that ill-fated day. On 8 May 2013 the then opposition defence minister said: We will deliver those submarines from right here at ASC in South Australia. The Coalition today is committed to building 12 new submarines here in Adelaide. And from that date onwards— Senator Conroy: He didn't say that, did he? Senator GALLACHER: absolutely—there has been prevarication, there has been an attempt to discredit the workforce in a totally despicable manner, there has been the leaking of the AWD, the Air Warfare Destroyer audit report prior to it being tabled in parliament. The minister had backgrounded the Financial Review; leaked it to discredit the good, loyal, hard-working workforce in South Australia. What is happening now is there is an increasing tide of public opinion in Adelaide that is wholly and solely against what is happening. The minister's performance in all of that is totally reprehensible. It is really looking— Senator Sterle: Incongruous. Senator GALLACHER: almost 'incongregous' and stupid; thank you, Senator Sterle. Senator Ian Macdonald: Incongruous! Senator GALLACHER: Incongruous; thank you, Senator Macdonald. I note Senator Macdonald actually made a useful contribution during the week— Senator Lines: No, he did not! Senator GALLACHER: Yes, he did! He said that ministers should listen to the backbench and vice versa, that there should be a flow of information one way and a flow of information the other way. That is clearly not what is happening in the Minister of Defence's area. There is no information coming out of the Minister of Defence's portfolio or office that is supported by many South Australians. Many South Australian Liberal members of parliament are as adamant as I, as Senator McEwen, as Senator Wong, as Amanda Rishworth, as Kate Ellis and Nick Champion—all of the Labor side is adamant that this is a once and for all opportunity to build on the defence state of South Australia. Independent reports are saying that there could be as much as $250 billion of investment and tens of thousands of jobs over the next 40 years. In the next 40 years in South Australia: $250 billion of investment and tens of thousands of jobs. We know very clearly that this minister, having made a promise, has backed away. He has white-anted, he has double talked and he has come out with his infamous canoe statement last week—that is, he would not trust ASC to build a canoe. That drove shivers down the whole economy of South Australia. All of the small business community that relies on a trained and employed manufacturing sector in defence thought, 'Oh my goodness; is this really the Liberal Party taking this sort of a stand?' It is probably time, as even all of the Liberal senators and members of parliament turn on their defence minister, that he walk the plank. That is it: walk the plank; over the side; deep six; out of the way. Put someone in the job who will actually look after defence, look after the national interests of Australia. If submarines are the spear upon which the defence of our great country lies, then we need better than this minister. We need a minister who is going to stand up for defence requirements, stand up for Australia's defence, stand up to the Prime Minister's office and have a complete competitive tender for this very important piece of vital defence infrastructure. Have a competitive tender that will be open and aboveboard and allow, most importantly, ASC and South Australian defence industries to compete on a fair and equitable basis with everyone else in the world who wants to do it. It really is time that this bloke walked the plank.