Prime Minister Scott Morrison tells WA Premier he’ll announce full-cycle docking submarine decision when ready

Scott Morrison is refusing to say when a decision will be made on a multibillion-dollar submarine maintenance contract — let alone if WA has won the work. In a letter to Premier Mark McGowan, the Prime Minister says he will announce whether WA has beaten South Australia in the race to win the lucrative full-cycle docking contract “when government is in a position to do so”. His response has heightened concerns from within the WA Government that a decision, supposed to be announced last December, has now been shelved until after the next Federal election — possibly late next year. “The Commonwealth Government is seriously considering all advice on this issue, and a decision on Collins sustainment will be made in the national interest when (the) Government is in a position to do so,” Mr Morrison says in his letter. The project would create about 3000 jobs in WA. If the decision to award the maintenance contract is in the national interest, WA stands a strong chance of beating South Australia — which currently does the work. The WA Government has pointed out the nation’s submarine fleet is already in WA at Garden Island, and that it is investing more than $100 million to support full-cycle docking and other Defence projects at the State’s marine industry hub at the Australian Marine Complex. In desperation, Mr McGowan recently wrote to Mr Morrison asking him to make a decision in the near future. “As you know, the submarines are based in Perth, the crews are here and our industry base is higher skilled and more capable than the alternative,” the Premier wrote. In a potentially worrying sign, Mr Morrison points out in his letter that the Commonwealth Government was already “making substantial investments in WA, investing around $1.5 billion in infrastructure in WA associated with the expanded naval fleet and ship building”. Mr Morrison adds: “This will create and sustain job opportunities for WA for generations.” Defence Issues Minister Paul Papalia said Canberra’s “continued refusal to provide any information on full cycle docking is deeply disappointing and concerning for Western Australia”. “We now lack even a basic timeline to understand when a decision will be made,” Mr Papalia said. “Canberra missed its own deadline a year ago and has failed to provide any meaningful update on full cycle docking since. “We have always maintained a decision must be made in the national interest.”