Senator PAYNE (New South Wales—Minister for Defence) (14:57): I thank Senator Gallacher for the opportunity to reaffirm the government's decision to build 12 Future Submarines in Adelaide. It is a historic decision. It is a nation-building decision. It will deliver the capability that our Navy needs and it will create thousands of Australian jobs. In fact, it will create over 1,100 direct jobs and 1,700 indirect jobs in addition to the thousands of other jobs which will be created through our surface shipbuilding program as well. Every single decision that this government has taken in relation to naval acquisition, from the Future Submarines to the surface ships, is about ensuring we have a sovereign naval shipbuilding industry in this country. Of course, that stands in distinct contrast, Mr President, as you might recall, to those opposite, who failed to make one single decision in relation to the acquisition of naval capability— The PRESIDENT: Order, Minister. Senator Gallacher, a point of order? Senator Gallacher: Yes. My point of order, Mr President, is relevance. I am talking about ASC and their role. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Gallacher. I would remind the minister of the question. Senator PAYNE: There was not one single decision made in relation to naval shipbuilding for any company in Australia—not just for ASC but for any company in Australia—for the entire time in which they were in government. So 1,100 direct jobs, 1,700 indirect jobs, Mr President, and the fact is that the Australian submarines— The PRESIDENT: Order, Minister. Pause the clock. On a point of order, Senator Carr. Senator Kim Carr: Mr President, this is a serious question. It would appear that either the government has been misled or the government has misled South Australians about the role of the ASC in the Future Submarine project. My point of order goes directly to the question of relevance. I would ask you to ask the minister to directly respond to the question asked. The PRESIDENT: Again I will remind you, Minister, of the question. Senator PAYNE: I can understand why those opposite do not want to hear about this. It is because they do not want to hear about their own record. But let me be very clear. These Future Submarines, 12 of them, will be built in Adelaide with an Australian workforce that will build on the existing submarine workforce in ASC—of course it will. The submarine workforce in Adelaide, which is currently resident in ASC, will have to grow to ensure that Australia can continue to sustain the Collins class submarine and build the Future Submarine fleet. So, as I said, let me be absolutely clear: because of the decisions that the Turnbull government has made, the submarine workforce in Adelaide will grow. The Future Submarine program will create 1,100 direct jobs and 1,700 indirect jobs, and that will be building on the ASC workforce itself. The PRESIDENT: Senator Gallacher, a supplementary question.