3 years ago
QUARTER OF A TRILLION DOLLAR CHAOS NEEDS ANSWERS NOT SPIN
RICHARD MARLES MP
Once again the Morrison Government is facing critical questions over its disastrous mismanagement of the Future Submarine Program.
It has now been revealed that the Morrison Government has spent $1.7 billion on this acquisition, yet has failed to secure a key contractual agreement to minimum local content that it promised would be in place by the end of last year.
At every step the Government has bungled this critical acquisition for our nation and put its own interests ahead of the national interest.
They said the Future Submarines would cost $50 billion. Instead, we know they will cost nearly $90 billion to acquire and nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars including sustainment.
The Government said the first one would be in the water in the mid-2020s. We now know that will not happen until around 2035.
The Morrison Government also promised it would amend the Strategic Partnering Agreement before the end of last year to include a 60 per cent local spend commitment – a promise it has now broken.
This means businesses across Australia, and particularly those in South Australia, are still no closer to having certainty that they will have opportunities to participate in this program.
Scott Morrison cannot try to shirk his responsibility for completely mismanaging this acquisition and our nation’s submarine capability.
Chaos is engulfing this quarter of a trillion dollar capability that is critical to our national security – and Australians deserve answers, not more Morrison Government spin.
It has now been revealed that the Morrison Government has spent $1.7 billion on this acquisition, yet has failed to secure a key contractual agreement to minimum local content that it promised would be in place by the end of last year.
At every step the Government has bungled this critical acquisition for our nation and put its own interests ahead of the national interest.
They said the Future Submarines would cost $50 billion. Instead, we know they will cost nearly $90 billion to acquire and nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars including sustainment.
The Government said the first one would be in the water in the mid-2020s. We now know that will not happen until around 2035.
The Morrison Government also promised it would amend the Strategic Partnering Agreement before the end of last year to include a 60 per cent local spend commitment – a promise it has now broken.
This means businesses across Australia, and particularly those in South Australia, are still no closer to having certainty that they will have opportunities to participate in this program.
Scott Morrison cannot try to shirk his responsibility for completely mismanaging this acquisition and our nation’s submarine capability.
Chaos is engulfing this quarter of a trillion dollar capability that is critical to our national security – and Australians deserve answers, not more Morrison Government spin.