A new $50 million research partnership with the University of Adelaide will create 1000 new jobs and develop 100 new defence products over the next four years, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.
The University of Adelaide will partner with the University of New South Wales and 52 industry partners to develop sovereign manufacturing capabilities within the defence industry,
Mr Morrison announced the investment alongside $14.4 million for an extra 480 internships for engineering students in an aim to get more women into defence jobs.
The new funds top up a defence industry internship program to extend it out to 2025/26.
A 40 per cent female participation target has been set for the internships.
“But I want us to do better than that,” the prime minister said.
“But what I think is really important is … people can get those opportunities, working in these advanced defence industries, advanced manufacturing businesses.”
Mr Morrison was in Adelaide on Wednesday morning, trying to shore up support in the ultra-marginal seat of Boothby – won by the Liberals on a less than 1.4 per cent margin in 2019.
Incumbent MP Nicolle Flint is not re-contesting the seat, and the federal ALP hopes to recreate the strong swings that resulted in the state Labor opposition coming to power in March.
But Mr Morrison’s attempt to spruik the coalition’s economic record and sovereign defence manufacturing was overshadowed as he came under sustained pressure from reporters about his national security record.
Labor has accused the government of the biggest foreign policy failure since World War II after the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China under the nose of the Morrison government.
The prime minister hit back and defended his foreign policy credentials, saying he would continue to stand up against Chinese coercion.
“We’re not going to have a submissive relationship with China and I don’t think it’s in the interests of Pacific nations to have a submissive relationship with China,” Mr Morrison said.
“There is a lot of influence going on in the Pacific and a lot of pressure placed on other Pacific countries and our region and what they need to understand is that I am going to work with them.”
Earlier, Mr Morrison played down the Liberals’ poor showing at the state election, saying the campaign was fought on state issues.
“The federal election is about federal issues. It is not a choice about Premier (Peter) Malinauskas, it’s a choice about whether you have Anthony Albanese as prime minister,” he told Adelaide radio station Mix102.3.
“State issues are certainly there but I think the voters of South Australia know the difference. This election is about the strength of the economy … and people’s jobs.”
The prime minister was also challenged about how his government would reduce the cost of living as people struggle to buy groceries.
Mr Morrison spruiked the halving of the petrol tax and downward pressure on interest rates and inflation due to a strong economy.
“(Inflation) is half of what it is overseas because the government can manage money well,” he said.
