Minister Pyne meets with ACTU

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne today met with representatives from the ACTU in Canberra to assure them of the bright future of the shipbuilding workforce as a direct result of the Turnbull Government’s $90 billion naval shipbuilding program.

During the meeting the Minister outlined the Government’s commitment to creating an indigenous naval shipbuilding industry which will involve thousands of additional jobs in the industry, focussed on South Australia. The program will create 5,200 direct jobs, with over 10,000 more in the supply chain.

Minister Pyne stressed that, despite claims to the contrary by Labor and Senator Xenophon, everybody in shipbuilding in South Australia with the skills and the desire to work could expect a job, and probably a job for life under the continuous shipbuilding programme.

“The Future Frigate Program alone will create more than 2,000 direct jobs, with thousands more in the supply chain,” Minister Pyne said.

“The shipbuilding workforce in Adelaide is experienced and highly capable and utilising this experience will be vital to delivering the program.

“We’re going to need a much bigger workforce to deliver on these projects which means more jobs in South Australia and across the country.”

“By contrast the Labor Party and the Nick Xenophon Team want to delay the process for purely political reasons, resulting in a delay of at least two years in the Future Frigates project, putting at risk the jobs of thousands of South Australians.”

“The Government will not be delaying the Future Frigates process and put at risk the livelihoods of thousands of South Australians.”

“If we were to follow Labor and Senator Xenophon’s advice here's what would happen:

• the $35 Billion Future Frigates project would be stopped for at least two years
• Labor’s valley of death would be extended into the 2020s
• 2000 jobs that are poised to start would be put on hold
• there would be one less career option for Holden workers
• businesses that are set to fill their books with shipbuilding work would have to wait years to do so putting those businesses at risk.

“The Turnbull Government is creating a national shipbuilding project that has well and truly begun; we are well advanced and work has started.

“Senator Xenophon and Labor are prepared to put that at risk for a cheap headline. We are building an industry for Australia and South Australia; he is more interested in building a brand,” said Mr Pyne.