Defence Industries Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith has called on the Federal Government to clearly rule out building submarines overseas and honour its pre-election promise to build the ships in Adelaide.

Before the election (May 8, 2013), Defence Minister David Johnston stood at ASC and promised Australia’s Future Submarines would be built in Australia saying:

“We will deliver those submarines from right here at ASC in South Australia. The Coalition today is committed to building 12 new submarines here in Adelaide.”

At Saturday’s Liberal Party AGM in Adelaide, Prime Minister Tony Abbott again backed away from his commitment to build submarines in Australia with the work centred in Adelaide.

“It beggars belief that any federal government would seriously consider spending up to $250 billion of Australian tax payers’ money on buying naval ships from overseas to create jobs and enterprise in someone else’s land ahead of ours,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

“We need to have build those submarines in this country to guarantee we can sustain it during conflict and peace.

“Prime Minister Tony Abbott and South Australian Liberal leader Steven Marshall need to clearly state their positions.

Mr Hamilton-Smith said the Abbott government appears to be repeatedly leaking negative attacks through the media on its own government-owned ship yard ASC and the local industry and workers to “soften up” Australians for a broken promise.

“First the automotive industry was abandoned off overseas it now looks as if the Coalition now planning the same fate for our ship yards?

“There are 27,000 defence jobs in this State, 3,000 in ship building and industry activity worth hundreds of billions of dollars over 30 years that hinge on this decision due in the coming year.

“This is much bigger than Holden for South Australia; it’s about the very survival of manufacturing.

“That the Prime Minister chose a Liberal gathering in Adelaide to warn of a sell-out on their submarine promise is an Indication of the lack of respect held for South Australia.

“The State Government will fight tooth and nail beside South Australian industry and workers and other ship building states to stop the Federal Government from selling off our industry.”