Statement on Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Contract

Yesterday’s decision by the Turnbull Government to award Western Australia the $594 million construction contract for 21 steel-hulled patrol boats is another Turnbull Government failure, said Treasurer Curtis Pitt.

“Queensland isn’t just the logical geographic and strategic choice, the Cairns Consortium has the skills and workforce to deliver this project – and establish Cairns as a defence hub for Northern Australia,” Mr Pitt said.

“Instead, because of a ludicrous decision in Canberra, we’ll now see Pacific Patrol Boats being constructed in the Indian Ocean only to sail halfway back around the country to serve in the Pacific.

“That doesn’t make any sense to anyone. Malcolm Turnbull has turned his back on Cairns and turned his back on Queensland.

“The Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement contract should have been awarded to Cairns and I’m shocked that the Turnbull Government is spruiking its decision to award Western Australia the build component at the expense of Cairns jobs and regional development in North Queensland.

“We need to know if the proposed maintenance contract will materialise for Queensland? And is this $400 million really going to deliver jobs? Or are we being asked to smile while Canberra does nothing but promise to deliver a second prize for Cairns?”

With the Prime Minister today confirming he intends to hold a double dissolution election on July 2, Mr Pitt said it was clear the Turnbull Government was putting politics ahead of good policy.

"It's day one of the impending federal election campaign and already Malcolm Turnbull has torpedoed Queensland," Mr Pitt said. 

“It appears the Turnbull Government is spreading the contract components around the country ahead of the looming election, rather than awarding the contract on the basis of the best strategic outcomes for defence and regional industry capabilities.

“There are two Turnbull Government Ministers responsible for North Queensland and one of them defended a decision to give half a billion dollars to Western Australia outside of the GST pool for roads funding at the expense of other states.

“The LNP want to pork barrel their way to an election win, but there’s nothing in their barrel for Queensland. Nothing.

“On top of this blow to people in Leichhardt, every other Coalition MP who holds a seat in regional Queensland have failed their electorates.

“Ewen Jones hasn’t even tried to fight for Townsville’s stadium, George Christensen is so busy trying to split the state in half that he’s forgotten the need for funding the Bruce Highway around Mackay, Ken O’Dowd rolled over when Canberra stripped $54 million out of the federal budget to complete Stages 2 and 3 of Gladstone’s Port Access Road, Michelle Landry hasn’t secured any money for Central Queensland’s beef roads and Bruce Scott has been asleep in Maranoa for the last 20 years.

“Once Mr Entsch gets some answers from Canberra, he needs to let people in FNQ known what went so wrong.

“I stood with Warren Entsch in a bipartisan effort to campaign for this contract to show that it was bigger than partisan politics. His colleagues have thrown him under a bus just months before an election and now he needs to explain why he wasn't able to convince his colleagues to give Cairns the full contract.

“Every Queenslander has the right to be disappointed and as voters they will soon have their chance to say something about it.”

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