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Attorney-General George Brandis has joined the list of politicians calling for increased export opportunities for Australia’s defence industry.
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"Australia has a very, very strong technical capability in defence industry and there are export opportunities to be sought," Brandis told Sky News.
The Attorney-General's comments come after Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne has continued to reignite the debate around Australia becoming a major arms exporter.
Minister Pyne told the ABC his "ambition is to enormously increase that capacity and send a lot more weapons overseas" to increase jobs in Australia.
But Minister Pyne has maintained no weapons will be sold to just any country.
"We simply wouldn’t do so willy-nilly," he said. "We have a particular process for that."
The minister said an expansion in weapons exports would aid the industry on the back of the $200 billion naval expansion in which Australia will build nine frigates, 12 submarines, 12 offshore patrol vessels and 21 patrol vessels for the Pacific.
"We have completely re-energised, in a renaissance for ship-building industry in Australia, and they were decisions being made by this government," Minister Pyne said.
"As part of that massive buildup of capability in the defence industry, we then need to look at exporting that capability because it brings treasure, investment and jobs to our economy here in Australia."
Defence Connect recently spoke with Richard Marles, opposition spokesman for Defence, who has also called for a strong defence export industry, stressing that developing a sustainable and innovative defence export industry will be crucial if Australia is to avoid another crippling valley of death within the defence industry, one that is being experienced at present.
"We are dealing with the valley of death, really, in relation to shipbuilding right now," Marles told Defence Connect.
"Between the completion of the Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer, and whenever building ramps up for the OPVs [Offshore Patrol Vessels] and the Future Frigates going forward. That sort of valley of death is going to be a recurring feature unless we get our companies engaged in doing shipbuilding for other parts of the world. It needs to be export focused."
