Election 2022: Scott Morrison treads water over subs job numbers

Scott Morrison unable to quantify the level of local manufacturing in building the nuclear submarines under AUKUS during visit to marginal seat.

Scott Morrison visits Sage Automation in the electorate of Boothby in Adelaide on Wednesday. Picture: Jason Edwards

Scott Morrison on Wednesday hit the hustings in the suburban Adelaide seat of Boothby but was unable to say how many submarine jobs would be created in South Australia from the AUKUS ­agreement.

The Prime Minister visited the ultra-marginal electorate for the first time in the campaign and made a $50m commitment to defence manufacturing jobs.

The policy would see the federal government support a research partnership between business and the University of Adelaide to create new defence technologies and products.

Mr Morrison, however, was unable to quantify the level of local manufacturing in building the nuclear submarines under AUKUS.

He said “as much as possible” of the new ­submarine fleet would be built in Adelaide. “We haven’t down-selected even the vessel that would be made in the submarine,” he said. “So no one can respond to that question in the way you would like me to.

“What the AUKUS agreement enables is for us to have access to build nuclear power submarines and to do it as much as possible as it can be done here in Australia, and particularly here in South Australia.”

The Adelaide Advertiser this year reported there would likely be 1000 fewer jobs through to 2030 in South Australia under the AUKUS deal compared with the dumped Attack-class patrol boats.

Mr Morrison said the US agreed to AUKUS because of South Australia’s ship-building capacity.

“The US was able to see what was capable here in Australia, and particularly here in South Australia,” he said.

“And I can tell you, (that) is a very critical factor in being able to convince the US that we could do this. AUKUS is not just about Australia having nuclear-powered submarines, AUKUS is about Australia being able to produce them.

“The US and in the UK, they are both making lots of nuclear-powered submarines. They want another partner making nuclear-powered submarines.”

He said the nuclear reactor component of the submarines would need to be constructed overseas.

When unveiling AUKUS last year, Mr Morrison said he intended to “build these submarines in Adelaide”.

He would not make that same commitment this year.

“Certainly our intention (is) to maximise all of that. Of course it is,” he said earlier this month.

“But it’s also the paramount goal to ensure we get that capability as soon as we can, and it’s in the best form that it can be working with our partners.”

The seat of Boothby was held by outgoing Liberal MP Nicolle Flint with a margin of 1.38 per cent.

Both Labor and Liberal strategists believe the seat is likely to swing to Anthony Albanese at the May poll. The Liberals are also concerned about the Adelaide heartland seat of Sturt.

With Labor sweeping to a thumping victory in the recent state election, Mr Morrison urged voters to differentiate state and federal issues.

“The federal election is not a choice about Premier Malinauskas. It is a choice about whether you have Anthony Albanese as the prime minister,” he said.

“This election is about the strength of the economy and whether we can keep it strong or a weaker economy under Labor.”