ASC general manager Stuart Wiley yesterday told a Senate estimates hearing it would cost between $18 billion and $24 billion to build 12 submarines in Adelaide. This is far short of the $80 billion figure the Federal Government has suggested it would cost in its argument to build the next fleet offshore. Mr Wiley worked as an engineer in construction and maintenance for Australias Collins Class submarines for about 25 years. When he was asked how he reached his figures, Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann reportedly intervened, took the question on notice, and did not allow him to answer. Federal senator and committee member Penny Wong told ABC 891 Adelaide that she further asked Mr Wiley how the Government came up with its own figures of $80 billion. He said he had no idea, she said. These sorts of figures are bandied about by the Government because theyre trying to walk away from the very clear commitment they gave: We would build submarines in Adelaide. Senator Wong said the Government had not made public the submarine specifications it had for the next fleet. Its concentrated instead on denigrating the Australian workforce, the ASC, and on justifying why it had to walk away from its promises rather than telling people what its needs really were, she said.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 23:43:18 +0000
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