Doorstop, HMAS Stirling

SUBJECTS: 2026 Nuclear‑Powered Submarine Workforce Strategy; AUKUS; Housing; Nvidia; Spending; Marrickville Golf Club; Austal; Terror Laws.  

MADELINE KING, MEMBER FOR BRAND: Good morning everyone, and welcome to HMAS Stirling and this fantastic new facility here for submarine, submariner training as part of the amazing AUKUS venture that we are all embarking upon. I'm really proud as a minister in the Albanese Labor government, but also as the local member for Brand to be able to be here today to welcome special guests here today, and I'm going to introduce them all. Firstly, my good friend, the Acting Prime Minister of Australia, Richard Marles, also of course Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, the Honourable Pat Conroy, the Federal Minister for Defence Industry, also the Premier of Western Australia, Roger Cook, the Member for Kwinana, one of my local constituents. It's good to see you again, Roger. Amber-Jade Sanderson, Assistant Minister for Defence Industries, and also our new Ambassador from the United States to Australia, David Brat. Welcome to you, and Chargé d'Affaires Jennifer Cole, the Acting Deputy High Commissioner to Australia for the United Kingdom. Thank you all for being here today and for your contributions to AUKUS. This is really important for the communities of Rockingham and Kwinana, and all the constituents, future constituents of the seat of Brand. So it's a real pleasure to be here, and with that I'm going to hand over to the Acting Prime Minister.

RICHARD MARLES, ACTING PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. It's wonderful to be here, to be here with our Minister for Resources. But Madeline, of course, is here as the local member, the Member for Brand, the Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy, West Australian Minister for Defence Industries, Roger Cook, who also happens to be the Premier. Great to have you here, Minister Sanderson. It's wonderful to be here with Ambassador David Brat. David has just taken on the role as the U.S. Ambassador to Australia, I've had the real pleasure of being able to spend the last couple of days with Ambassador Brat. And Ambassador, you are very much welcome in this country. It's Ambassador Brat's first visit to Perth and to see the submarine rotation, well to see HMAS Stirling, which will be the home of the Submarine Rotational Force-West. David, one piece of advice I can give you when you are answering questions to Western Australian media is that if you are asked about wharfie time, just smile and nod. And it's great to be here also with the Acting High Commissioner of the UK, Jennifer Cole. As you've just seen, when we announced the optimal pathway for Australia acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine capability under the banner of AUKUS back in 2023, we announced a 10-year, $8 billion investment in HMAS Stirling, and four years down the track, we've now seen 125 new accommodation units, which we just visited, and we are here in this state-of-the-art submarine training centre. There actually are, or there will be, 16 Virginia-class simulators in this building. We've been inside a number of them. It will be the only place in the world where all of those simulators will be under one roof, which makes this the centre of high-tech capability across the Virginia-class ecosystem globally actually but obviously here in Australia, and what that represents is a real building of capability here at HMAS Stirling, as we become ready to host the Submarine Rotational Force-West, which will be in place around this time next year. Today we are releasing the Submarine Workforce Plan. What it does is highlight that over the coming decades, AUKUS will directly employ 20,000 Australians. That is a real challenge to put that in place. It is a very significant training challenge, which is why we are building the Skills and Training Academy at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide. It's why we're working so closely with South West Metro TAFE here in Perth. That's why we have 240 Australians who have already gone to Pearl Harbor to learn critical trades in working on nuclear-powered submarines. Sixty of those are already back here at HMAS Stirling, which means that the workforce to operate on nuclear-powered submarines is already taking shape right here at HMAS Stirling on this day. Today, as part of releasing this plan, we're announcing an $88 million commitment to support hundreds more apprentices and trainees developing critical skills that we need to deliver this project. Now, as we ramp up to establish the Submarine Rotational Force-West here at HMAS Stirling, over the next four to five years we'll see around 1,200 households from America come here to this region. We are very focused, therefore, on the question of housing. What you've seen already is 125 new accommodation units here on base. But in addition to that, we've already built 70 houses in the community, and there are another 200 or more than 200 which are currently being built. And today we're announcing that Defence Housing Australia will be commencing work on another 92 houses. What matters here is that we are staying well ahead of the number of personnel who are coming here in terms of the accommodation that we are building. And so, what we are announcing today is just another step in ensuring that happens. And in addition to that, today, and the Premier will say more about this, the Western Australian Government is announcing its AUKUS Community Report. As part of that, the Commonwealth is announcing a commitment of $2 million to kickstart planning and design on the construction of local roads here in the Rockingham community. And finally, on base today is the USS Colorado, a Virginia-class submarine of the United States. And I understand that a number of you had the opportunity to see that last week. The Colorado has been here for a couple of weeks. It's going to be here for a few more weeks to come. It's undertaking a maintenance period. This is the fourth nuclear-powered submarine to undertake a maintenance period here at HMAS Stirling since we announced the AUKUS pathway. That's exactly what we said would occur, and these maintenance periods are all happening as scheduled and as planned. Three of those have been U.S. Virginia-class submarines: the USS Hawaii, the Vermont, and now the Colorado. One has been a UK Astute-class submarine, HMS Anson. But four years, or almost four years down the track, the body of work which is now under people's belts with respect to working on those submarines is making this a much more capable base in terms of our ability to work with, operate on, and provide maintenance for nuclear-powered submarines, which, of course, in turn, is readying HMAS Stirling to be part of the Submarine Rotational Force-West from around this time next year. What is particularly exciting about USS Colorado is that the United States has announced that USS Colorado will be the first submarine to come to Western Australia and to operate from the Submarine Rotational Force-West from next year. And so, what that effectively means is that really, from this moment going forward, we can expect to see the Colorado operating frequently from HMAS Stirling. Now, when you take all of that we are speaking about today, the picture that presents is that AUKUS is absolutely happening, as we said that it would, and this is a really important national project. It represents the biggest industrial project in our country's history. It's the biggest leap in our military capability since the establishment of the Navy more than a century ago. This is keeping Australia safe, but at the same time, this is providing thousands of high-tech, high-skilled, lifelong jobs across Australia and here in Western Australia.

ROGER COOK, PREMIER OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND WA MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRIES: Thank you, Richard. I want to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister back to Western Australia in this instance as the Acting Prime Minister. Can I also acknowledge Minister Conroy, and Jennifer and David – it's great to have you both with us. In particular, can I acknowledge Minister Sanderson as part of this important announcement today. And the Colorado pulling up alongside really brings into sharp focus the opportunities that come from the AUKUS partnership. And SRF-West is now in immediate line of sight as we start to prepare for Western Australia continuing to play its important part of the AUKUS partnership. In particular, this represents a huge opportunity for Western Australian workers. Thousands of skilled, trade-related, and higher education-related jobs will be created as a result of the AUKUS partnership, which Western Australia will play an important part in. Minister Conroy was part of, along with Minister Sanderson, a visit to Austal Ships just the other day to acknowledge the beginning of the Landing Craft Medium build effort, and that too will represent thousands of jobs. And the $88 million investment by the Federal Government as part of the skills opportunity is really an important part to ensure that Western Australians can take advantage of the jobs that are available. And Minister Sanderson is working with South Metro TAFE to ensure that through the Defence Skills Academy, Western Australians will be getting the opportunity to work on this incredible transformative program. In particular, we know that the AUKUS partnership will mean that there are a lot of extra personnel, a lot of changes, a lot of construction, a lot of industry development in this region, and that's why we launched the community task force, which is chaired by local member Magenta Marshall, to look at what we need to do as a government to continue to support the community as it moves towards the next stage of the AUKUS partnership, and that goes to issues such as schools, housing, healthcare, road and transport infrastructure, and is a really important part of continuing to make sure that we've got that deep engagement with the local community, ensuring that we're having the investment and the conversations that are necessary to maintain community support. People in this region know that this is a huge opportunity for this local community, but also for the state, and that's why we're immensely proud of the work that's been undertaken as part of that task force to now continue that community conversation around how we implement the recommendations of the task force to ensure that this is not only a great outcome for Australia's defence effort, it's not only a great outcome for the state's industrial development effort, but it's a great outcome for the local community in Kwinana, Henderson, Cockburn, and of course Rockingham. And I just want to take the opportunity to say there will be jobs that will be coming from this opportunity. You see the development, you see the construction, you see the industry being stood up. This is an incredibly exciting phase for Western Australians, for Western Australian jobs, and for the Western Australia economy. Now, hand you over to Minister Conroy.

PAT CONROY, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY: Thank you, Premier. It's a great pleasure to be here, ladies and gentlemen. AUKUS is real. AUKUS is happening before our very eyes. Every major milestone is being hit on what is an essential project that will deliver the greatest possible capability to the Royal Australian Navy and modernise Aussie manufacturing, moving it well into the most modern advanced manufacturing techniques seen around the world.This project will create 20,000 high-skilled, well-paid, secure jobs for Australians, predominantly in the great state of WA and SA. These jobs will be contributing to our national security as well as allowing families to be raised. On the Colorado docking, the submarine maintenance period, we're seeing 110 Australians performing essential work on the Submarine Maintenance Period: a mixture of naval personnel as well as ASC employees. We're seeing 15 WA companies working on this maintenance period, not just doing the work that American companies traditionally do, but developing new advanced methods of doing it so that the maintenance period is as effective as possible. This is just one part of the 20,000 jobs that are being created. I was with Minister Sanderson at Veem yesterday, a great WA company that's a foundry and forging specialist, and we announced the first production contract for an Australian company to produce parts for HII, the largest U.S. naval shipbuilder. This contract will pave the way for hundreds of Australian companies that are going through the qualification process. This will open up massive amounts of work contributing to the US and UK submarine industrial base, building their submarines for their needs, but also supporting our efforts because it's inconceivable that these companies won't then go on to supply the bill of materials for SSN-AUKUS when we start construction of those submarines. So this means more work for Aussie workers, more work for Australian companies doing the most advanced work in the world, and that's a great day for Australian security and Australian industry, but to do this, as the Acting Prime Minister and the Premier said, you need more Australians being trained up. So the $88 million we're announcing today to cover the Submarine Workforce Strategy will help deliver that. That will help deliver hundreds of apprentices delivering these programs. Amber and I met Emily, a young machinist fitter at Veem International. We also met Georgia, a welder at Austal. These inspiring young adults will have jobs for life doing the most advanced manufacturing, not just in Australia but in the world. They'll have jobs for life, contributing parts to our naval capability. They'll have jobs for life, helping defend this country, providing the best capability for the Royal Australian Navy. So this is a good day for the Australian Defence Force, it's a great day for Aussie industry, and it's a great day for the great state of WA.

I now hand over to the US Ambassador.

DAVID BRAT, US AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRALIA: Thank you all very much. It's an absolute honour to be in Australia. We spent a great day yesterday with the Acting Prime Minister Marles, working together not only on the subs and AUKUS, but shared intelligence, sport, diplomacy, all around. And the one thing I want to do right off the bat is thank all of the armed services folks from both sides, Australia and the United States, and many of them are here today. The talent and the human capital embedded in these people are just simply incredible. And we just heard all the great reporting on the skills that are upcoming. I studied economics way back when I was young, and one-third of economic growth is attributable to human capital, right? So a third is capital, a third is technical growth, but a third is human capital. You're not going to see any more technology-embedded innovation in human capital than in this project right here, right? And it's going to spread. And then when the young people in Australia and the United States see the excitement here and what the military is doing, and how we're all sharing together, it's incredible, right? It's an incredible positive story of working together. The other dimension is the alliance, the US is sharing 100% - this is team ball with Australia. Australia is sharing with us. The alliance is large, and with all of us working together, we feel a strong sense of deterrence. Right, we have the (inaudible) islands. We have other countries- I've just met with ambassadors up in Japan, Philippines, etc. And that's the way we view the AUKUS project. Right, it's complete team ball across the board. The subs we're sharing; it's interoperability across both of our militaries, working together, working on the subs in port, sharing the technology together. And so today for me is just a big celebration. And I've been welcomed here with open arms, right? From the rare earth folks, to the superfund folks, the CEO folks, much nicer than New York City, I shouldn't say that. And then your political folks actually take policy seriously, and it's been a warm welcome, and it's just great to be with you in Australia. Thank you so much. I'll hand it over to my colleague from the UK.

JENNIFER COLE, UK CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES: Thank you. Good morning, everyone. AUKUS is a true partnership between trusted allies. Each submarine maintenance period brings us further along the pathway as the next chapters of AUKUS are opening. So this is the rotational force, but we're also on track to cut steel on the first SSN-AUKUS boat in the UK next year. But being here in this training facility is a reminder that while people see the submarines, it's the people who bring this tremendous partnership alive. And so it will be the sailors and engineers who work in this facility who will underpin this unprecedented partnership between us.

MARLES: Thanks Jennifer. Questions?

JOURNALIST: For the $88 million, I guess, to attract more workers, is that a new generation, or are you trying to attract, I guess, people with similar skills, mining, construction? I guess, how is that $88 million going to work?

MARLES: Well, it's, I mean, it's seeking to build the skills is the fundamental point. So, I mean, we definitely want to be attracting a new generation, and we need to be building the skills and capability of the whole nation. This will be over a number of years across the country, but it's really just one measure in a whole suite of measures that we are taking to meet the human challenge. And in terms of building that workforce of 20,000 over the coming decades, what that fundamentally represents is a training challenge. We just need to be training more people, and that's what we're doing. And so, when you look at the funding that we've put into universities, other funding that we've done with our TAFE colleges, what we're doing in respect of building the Skills and Training Academy in Osborne, and now this announcement today, these are all building blocks in meeting that challenge of skilling that future workforce.

CONROY: I think one of the critical parts, which the Acting Prime Minister alluded to, which goes to your question, is we're aiming at the entire training spectrum. So one of the programs we're announcing today is called Tradies to Trainers. So targeting senior, experienced tradies and paying to turn them into trainers so they pass on their wisdom. Another part of it is the Employment Pathways Project where we're doing the training. We're paying for people to be trained, so we're paying for new apprentices to enter the training pipeline so that they can get those skills. We're extending the really successful WA school pathways program, so Year 12 kids can then move into training. And then another element is transferees. I met a young commando who came out of the Commandos, wanted to give back through the Australian defence industry, and he's now working in Henderson as a welder. So we're targeting an entire spectrum, so that we don't just pull from schools, but we pull from mid-career people as well.

JOURNALIST: If you’re pulling from mid-career people, that obviously means experienced tradespeople in, you know, residential construction. Is that the sort of industry you're targeting, especially considering there’s been a housing shortage (inaudible)?

MARLES: Well, it's not about targeting a particular industry, as I said it is about fundamentally building the skills base. So, I mean, the overall message in relation to all of this is that we need to build a quantity of Australians who have the skills to do all the work that's required, be it in construction, but obviously here in respect of delivering the AUKUS project. We've also, as part of the many announcements that we're making today, made an announcement in relation to continuing that program of building housing here in and around Rockingham for the establishment of the Submarine Rotation Force‑West. So we're really mindful of ensuring that what work on this base does specifically is contribute opportunity to the community and making sure that we are putting in place the infrastructure which allows that to work.

JOURNALIST: And on that trades workforce, how soon do we see the first set of tradespeople working here in WA?

MARLES: Well, I mean, we're seeing it now and that's really the point. So in relation to the announcement of the $88 million, that is a program over the next four to six years in terms of supporting those new apprentices and trainees. But, you know, we've had 240 people go to Pearl Harbor to learn the craft of working on a nuclear‑powered submarine. Sixty of them are already back. They've done two years in Pearl Harbor. They're right back at HMAS Stirling on this base now. And so the workforce to be able to work on a nuclear-powered submarine is taking shape on this day. It's actually really happening right now, and that's why we're very confident about meeting the timeline of establishing Submarine Rotation Force‑West from around this time next year.

JOURNALIST: What sort of industries are you looking to draw from, and what's that going to look like in practice? Like, what sort of work would they be doing if they were coming from another industry to (inaudible)?

MARLES: Well again, we're looking at training a new generation, as I reiterate. But it's all the skills in respect of working on a submarine, and they’re traditional skills at one level in terms of welding, electrical trades and the like, but then to apply those skills to a very high-tech platform such as a nuclear-powered submarine carries its own speciality in it. So that's why it's really important to get that training done. It's why it's really important to build a cohort of people who have actual experience working on the submarines, which is what those 60 people who are already here now are; what the others who are at Pearl Harbor at the moment who will be coming back will do; and we'll have people from the get-go who have had experience working on these submarines, able to grow that experience here with people who are learning those skills.

JOURNALIST: Given the number of first home buyer loans is now 3,700 lower than it was a year ago, are the Government’s tax changes failing to meet their objective of getting more young people into housing? 

MARLES: So I’ll come back it back to it, but maybe if we can just finish up questions in relation to the announcement. 

JOURNALIST: With the 20,000 workforce target, do you think we'll hit 20,000 or do you think we need more than 20,000 workers?

MARLES: Look, I'm actually confident that we will hit 20,000. It's over the coming decades. But you look at what we are imagining in respect of the Henderson Defence Precinct, I mean, it will be the place where we sustain and maintain our future submarines. It will also be the place where we build our general purpose frigates, which is broader in terms of defence industry. But that right there is going to be a facility which directly employs thousands of people in the not too distant future. It will be one of the largest industrial sites in the country at Henderson. Osborne the same, around 10,000 people will ultimately be directly employed at Osborne. Now some of those are on the Hunter class project, but a lot of that, most of that will be specifically in relation to AUKUS. So as we as we get to the point of full production of building our submarines in Adelaide, maintaining them here in WA, seeing the submarines operate from right here at HMAS Stirling, I'm very confident that we will see AUKUS directly employ 20,000 people. 

CONROY: Just to supplement, that 20,000 figure is incredibly conservative. To give you an example, we don't include the supply chain that's servicing or building submarines. When both of us, because you were there yesterday, we were at Veem International, that’s going to have 50 jobs being supported building those parts for the US Virginias, and then hopefully will transition to our build program. We don't include any of those figures in the manufacturing supply chain in the 20,000. So I'm very confident, as the A/PM is, that we'll exceed the 20,000 once we include the manufacturers that will then provide parts for the submarine construction yard in Osborne and the maintenance here in WA.

JOURNALIST: What are the ranges, the time frame of each course? Did you say it was around two years that people would be trained up?

MARLES: Well, it's a variety of courses, and I think it will be longer than two years but you should supplement–

JOURNALIST: Yeah, so it depends which of the programs we're talking about. So the Skills Pathways Program is a four-year apprenticeship. So it's a traditional apprenticeship where we'll pay for school leavers to get experience in critical skills for submarine construction and maintenance, think welding, fitting, and turning. But others are transitioning people from tradies into trainers, that's a lot less than four years. The school pathways program that we're extending today, which has been very successful in WA, is typically a six-month course where school leavers, year 11 and year 12 kids, get a six-month internship in the defence industry. They get a taste of it. They work out, yep, this is industry for me, and then the companies will pick them up and stream them into different things. So the beauty of what we're announcing is there's different levels of training and different time frames depending on what's happening. And as the Acting Prime Minister said, a lot of this is already happening right now and what we're announcing is an evolution of that.

JOURNALIST: Just on questions of the day– 

MARLES: So we're done in terms of questions on AUKUS? 

JOURNALIST: Given the number of first home buyer loans is now 3,700 lower than it was a year ago, are the Government's tax changes failing to actually deliver on its goal of bringing young people into the housing market? 

MARLES: We need to see inter‑generational equity in terms of housing. The dream of owning a home in this country needs not just to be a dream for people of my age, but for our kids as well. That's why we put in place the changes that we did at the last Budget. Why we amended the tax treatment in respect of negative gearing. And what we are confident about is that over time, and this needs to be taken over time, we'll still see housing prices grow, and that will occur over time, but at a rate which is much more commensurate with the growth of wages. And what that will do in in the fullness of time is make housing much more accessible to a younger generation, and that is what is fair, and that is what provides aspiration for a younger generation coming through in terms of how they build their lives.

JOURNALIST: As we learn a bit more about the Nvidia affair, are you concerned about the risk of Chinese interference?

MARLES: Firstly this is being managed in the United States, and obviously we're confident with how the US will manage that particular incident. Secondly, in respect of Australia, we really have robust security measures in place for people working in a facility like this, either in the Defence Force or in the public sector, there's a very strict regime of security clearances that apply. But that also applies for a number of people in the private sector who are interacting with this, who are either engaging with our national secrets or engaging with very sensitive technology, which again we seek to keep classified. And we are very confident about how that system operates here in Australia. Now that is happening in a context where we are seeing a growing rate of espionage, and that's something that ASIO has made clear in its consistent annual updates over a number of years now. So we know we're working in a much more difficult environment. We're actually really confident with the systems that we have in place in Australia.

JOURNALIST: Just on housing, the Property Council says the housing market is a sinking ship, the Government tends to say its fine. I guess, what do you make of that?

MARLES: I think we need to take a step back here and look at this over the fullness of time. I have no doubt, over the fullness of time, we will see house prices continue to rise. But what we are seeking to do here in terms of the tax treatment that we have applied now to negative gearing, is to have that long term growth in housing prices more equate to the growth in wages, and that is what will make housing much more available to a younger generation. But here's the fundamental point: for years, we have been hearing people say that for young people, housing is becoming unaffordable and is simply not part of the Australian dream anymore. Our government felt that was utterly unacceptable, and so we have made a really difficult decision to change that and we are confident that in the fullness of time, that decision will open up the housing market to a younger generation, and that's how it should be.

JOURNALIST: Spending $3 million on a climate documentary. Do you think that's a good use of taxpayer money?

MARLES: Look, I mean, people can focus on specifics of that kind. In terms of the broad spending within the Australian Budget, we are a government which has had significant programs or savings in each and every Budget that we have handed down. Now, the former Coalition government couldn't make that claim because that's not what they did in the last Budget when they were in office. In the last Budget alone, we cut $37 billion dollars from the NDIS. That is a really significant saving in terms of making sure that the growth of that scheme is kept in check. It's obviously a really important scheme. It was obviously a very difficult decision, but it is it is an example of the difficult decisions that we are making to be prudent in terms of our Budget management. And we know that that is a critical part of how we're managing the economy, and we continue to do that. 

JOURNALIST: The Marrickville Golf Club is (inaudible) an inquiry today to community grants, and they say the grant never had anything to do with sewerage issues. Was the Government being purposely misleading when it told Parliament than otherwise?

MARLES: No, and I mean this is an issue which has been completely ventilated. The Prime Minister has spoken at length in relation to it. This fundamentally goes to delivering on an election commitment, and I think the Prime Minister has been utterly clear in the way in which’s he’s explained it. 

JOURNALIST: Can you rule out removing religion as motivation in the official definition of terrorism?

MARLES: Look, we're aware of the report that's been made by the [National] Security Legislation Monitor, I hope I got that name right, but that is an independent body and that report will be made public. Let me be clear: we have no intention of narrowing the definition of terrorism within our law.

JOURNALIST:  In reference to Austal, roughly two thirds of the business is so likely to be taken over by either Hanwha or US private equity. Do you have any concerns about its ability to remain the strategic shipbuilder?

MARLES: So I might ask the Defence Industry Minister whether he wants to supplement but the short answer is no, we don't. We are really confident about the Australian activities of Austal, and we continue down the path of seeking Austal to establish itself as the strategic shipbuilder, following through on those contracts in relation to landing craft heavy and medium. I mean, all of these are important steps forward. But fundamentally, in terms of the question that you've asked and the ownership structure at Austal, we're confident of that.

CONROY: Thanks. The Acting Prime Minister is absolutely right, and I think it's to very clear to understand that there are two separate boards for Austal USA and Austal Australia. They're effectively two separate entities in the way they operate due to the requirements of US legislation. So we're very confident, no matter what happens in the United States, that Austal Australia will continue to serve as our strategic shipbuilder, and they're undergoing a massive growth in capability and skilled workforce. Minister Sanderson and I were there yesterday for the cutting of steel for landing craft, and they've grown their workforce already to a thousand. And these two projects, landing craft heavy and medium, will add 1,100 direct jobs and 2,000 direct jobs. So we're very confident in them as a strategic shipbuilder as they ramp up production to deliver those two projects onto Mogami. Importantly, the way we've structured the strategic shipbuilding agreement gives us sovereign rights. Those sovereign rights, Austal is very aware of, and they give us the rights to make sure that they act in accordance as our sovereign shipbuilder. We're very confident we'll never need to use them because they're acting and performing well. But it's very important to be clear that there are two separate entities being talked about here. 

JOURNALIST: If Hanwha USA is successful with its bid for Austal USA, are there any security concerns for Australia given recent reports of South Korean industrial espionage?

MARLES: Well, let's see what plays out. We are not concerned about Austal’s operations here in Australia. 

JOURNALIST: The AFP has said its hate preacher taskforce (inaudible). Would you consider going back to get bipartisan (inaudible) of this across the line given (inaudible)?

MARLES: I think we see what comes in terms of what is ultimately reported there. I mean, we continue to monitor these, and we continue to look at how we can make sure that our laws are robust in this regard.

JOURNALIST: Just back on the Marrickville Golf Club, the club says the value of the Prime Minister’s honorary membership was more like $1,000 than $5. Does the Prime Minister need to apologise for getting it wrong?

MARLES:  No, and again, I think the Prime Minister has answered these questions extensively and exhaustively.