THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CANNING

STATEMENT
MINISTER FOR AUKUS NEEDED IN WA

Thursday 8 August 2024

The Coalition calls on the WA Labor Government to show leadership on AUKUS as Premier Roger Cook fails to resolve the massive housing and infrastructure challenges around HMAS Stirling.

Premier Cook should start by appointing a full-time Minister for AUKUS. There must be a Minister at the State Cabinet table dedicated to driving the infrastructure projects, resolving congestion, building houses and coordinating key stakeholders. If they don’t, we risk missing our 2027 target for Submarine Rotational Force—West (SRF–West).

The Coalition, along with relevant local councils and stakeholders, have long been voicing concerns about WA Labor’s preparedness for SRF–West in 2027 and still, there has been little action.

Defence Minister Richard Marles has himself acknowledged that “there’s a whole range of issues that have to be worked through,” and that the WA government would “need to do more in relation to things like housing.”

There is no doubt AUKUS enjoys bipartisan support, but the Cook Government is not focused on the growing problems, nor being proactive about their resolution.

A Minister for AUKUS—senior and in Cabinet—would be the first step in addressing these challenges.

Premier Cook should back his team and grasp the nettle for WA before the strategic risks compound, and we lose the confidence of our international partners.

[ENDS]