4 years ago
DEFENCE INDUSTRY MINISTER ADMITS GOVERNMENTS FAILURES
MATT KEOGH MP
Labor welcomes Defence Industry Minister Price’s concession in today’s West Australian Newspaper that we must reduce our reliance on overseas suppliers for defence manufacturing.
Our small and medium defence businesses are being locked out of promoting capability options to Defence, in part, due to being left to the whim of foreign contractors, who engage them as subcontractors based on foreign designs and capability offerings.
Labor has been calling for the federal government to boost support to local defence industry businesses, so they are capable and ready to engage in relevant supply chains.
The ongoing key policy failure is a lack of any clear, measurable and enforceable Australian industry content requirements, imposed on prime contractors by Defence.
“Best endeavour” undertakings in unenforceable Australian Industry Capability plans to “maximise” use of AIC are not the best choice at all.
It is high time this government does indeed prioritise Australian defence manufacturers.
Our small and medium defence businesses are being locked out of promoting capability options to Defence, in part, due to being left to the whim of foreign contractors, who engage them as subcontractors based on foreign designs and capability offerings.
Labor has been calling for the federal government to boost support to local defence industry businesses, so they are capable and ready to engage in relevant supply chains.
The ongoing key policy failure is a lack of any clear, measurable and enforceable Australian industry content requirements, imposed on prime contractors by Defence.
“Best endeavour” undertakings in unenforceable Australian Industry Capability plans to “maximise” use of AIC are not the best choice at all.
It is high time this government does indeed prioritise Australian defence manufacturers.