On May 10, 2022 Australia’s Federal Labor Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese, made the following speech (see Transcript here in full) on Australia’s national security challenges. This follows the national security speech made by Prime Minister Morrison on March 7, 2022.
All this is in the context of Australia's next federal election which may well be held on May 21, 2022.
You can see the Albanese speech video here . As the whole Albanese speech is 3,400 words I have only included the parts most relevant to submarines, below.
Title: "Stronger in the World, United at Home"
"...Under my leadership, Labor offered bipartisan support for the Defence Strategic Update 2020, and for AUKUS and the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.
...The Complex Strategic Environment
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has trampled fundamental principles which have made the world safer since World War II.
...China has failed in its special responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, while offering Russia relief from sanctions.
Just weeks before the invasion of Ukraine, China signed a ‘no limits’ friendship with Moscow.
There are many reasons to be concerned about such a friendship, particularly in light of China’s growing assertiveness in our region.
...This has manifested itself most recently in a takeover of Hong Kong, repression of human rights in China and the militarisation of the South China Sea.
A Strong Australian Defence Force
It is more important than ever that we chart a clear, long-term course for Australia that can sustain maximum bipartisan consensus.
We need to look to the next thirty years, not just the next three.
Our national security interests should transcend the partisan divide.
The brave men and women who serve in our Defence Force, our intelligence and law enforcement agencies deserve that stability and clarity from their government.
That extends to how we equip and resource our military.
A defining characteristic of this Liberal Government is an enduring focus on announcements, but not on the delivery of them.
In the 2009 Defense White Paper the Rudd Government outlined the need to change the force structure of the ADF to enhance our nation’s naval capabilities.
Yet here we are, nearly a decade after the Liberal Party was elected and still no actual progress.
Billions of dollars wasted on the French contract.
After a production line of six defence ministers in this Government - and two goes at landing on a model - we now have no contract for any submarine, and a looming submarine-shaped capability gap.
And it leaves the next government with another repair job: healing the wounds inflicted on the Australia-France relationship. Not forgetting, of course, the earlier damage to the relationship with our other close partner Japan.
The entire episode is the greatest defence procurement disaster we have seen in this country.
Unfortunately, it’s not the only procurement fumble.
The Future Frigates are $15 billion over budget and delayed into the next decade. There is now concern they might be too heavy and too slow.
There are now 30 major defence projects that are running a total of 79 years late. 17 major projects are running $4.3 billion over budget.
And some projects that have been completed don’t deliver what taxpayers paid for - such as helicopters that can’t shoot their weapons.
The 2020 Strategic Update announced traditional ten-year warning times no longer apply, yet the acquisition of new submarines has been pushed out up to two decades.
Labor offered bipartisan support for the Update and the budget expenditure associated with it, including $270 billion of capability acquisition.
We have also offered support for the nuclear-powered submarines.
We recognise this will mean Defence budgets beyond the 2 per cent benchmark.
Let me be clear: Labor will ensure that Defence has the resources it needs to defend Australia and deter potential aggressors.
It is unwise to discuss specific defence acquisitions from Opposition where we do not have the benefit of detailed advice from all the experts. I won’t try doing this today.
What I can say is that it will be incumbent on us to deliver a frank assessment of our capabilities and pipeline on arrival in government.
For instance, we will consider whether tomahawk missiles can be fitted to the Collins Class submarines.
We will review progress of the Frigates project, and explore whether our naval power could be bolstered through upgraded weapons on the Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels or through additional Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers.
We would also work with Defence and those experts who have identified the need for Government to quickly increase Australia’s strike capabilities.
We will deepen our regional defence cooperation with close partners – including Japan, India, Singapore and others – to bolster our joint capabilities, shape our strategic environment and uphold the rules of the road.
And Labor will plan for how we address submarine capability in the period until we receive the nuclear-powered submarines.
The Morrison Government has been dropping hints about submarines, but offered no clarity.
This week also saw an announcement about an announcement, with the Government promising that it would announce the location of a new submarine base in Australia in 2023.
No doubt this is driven by an election timetable rather than a full analysis of our overall force posture which has not been done since Labor was last in power.
Labor has already committed to a Defence Force Posture Review to consider our long-term posture, particularly our strategically crucial northern and western approaches. In government, this Review will provide a more reliable basis for decisions on the final location of a new submarine base.
Stronger Partnerships Around the World
...Of course, our longstanding alliance with the United States is a central pillar of our foreign policy.
A Labor Government will be an energetic and trusted alliance partner.
This is why we give strong support to AUKUS and why we will make sure the Quad delivers in our region.
...The search for false distinctions between the Government and Opposition on China is not in Australia’s national interest, as both current and former leaders of our security and intelligence agencies as stated so clearly.
...I was a member of the Gillard Government that brought US Marines to Darwin. And as Shadow Infrastructure Minister I opposed the sale of the Port of Darwin..."
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Again see the whole 3,400 word speech Transcript here in full.