PRIME MINISTER: I won’t recap what we said, but this is a great day, a very important day in the history of the Antarctic Division revealing the design of the new icebreaker, the successor to Aurora Australis. So Greg, Nick and I are here and we are delighted to take questions.
QUESTION: How can the taxpayer be sure of [inaudible] because of one tender?
MINISTER HUNT: This is a process which has continued over successive Governments. There were six original proposals that was short-listed to three, now that's been brought down to one. We have had both the Department of Finance and KPMG oversee the process and both have verified we are on track to a result which will represent a very successful result for Australia. We are we driving a hard bargain.
QUESTION: I think we have seen a quote of $1 billion for this project?
MINISTER HUNT: There is a tender process going on, but let me bring two things together. There is the acquisition and then there is the lifetime operation which is being funded out to 2049. So that figure would refer to not just the acquisition, but the lifetime operation and Nick's advice to me is that three quarters of the total spend will be raised and used during the course of the lifetime operation and the actual acquisition and build will represent in the vicinity of a quarter of the total.
QUESTION: Can you clarify for us the ownership of the company that's won the tender, Damen ship builders is a Netherlands-based company and Serco is a British company?
MINISTER HUNT: Correct.
QUESTION: So Australian shipbuilders won't be involved in construction?
MINISTER HUNT: Let me say one thing and Nick might want to add something else, but essentially the tender process began under the previous Government. It was an open process and Australian builders were encouraged. There were six original proponents and all of them were Australian companies with overseas builds and so that six was put forward under the previous Government. It was inherited by us but we did look to see whether or not there was an Australian build option. Three quarters of the lifetime spend or thereabouts is likely to occur in Australia and so we could only respond to what the market provided. Obviously this is a niche market in the sense that builds such as this come along once every 25 to 30 years. It's not surprising, and I'm not critical of the previous Government, that when they did the listing, they were all Australian outcomes.
PRIME MINISTER: They were all overseas outcomes you mean.
MINISTER HUNT: All Australian firms with overseas builds.
QUESTION: There is a lot of talk about Australia's ship building sector at the moment. How does this decision reflect on that?
PRIME MINISTER: I think Greg has made the perfectly obvious point really that the business of building icebreakers or vessels with the capacity of travelling through and breaking through sea ice, the market for that or the business for that is not located in Australia. It's clearly a Northern Hemisphere industry and specialty. This is a niche vessel. So it isn't - I don't think it's surprising that all the tenderers, as Greg has just described, involved an overseas yard.
QUESTION: PM, you talked about the value of science. With will you are be reinstating some of the jobs lost here at the Antarctic to Division?
PRIME MINISTER: Perhaps I can refer to the Minister in a moment. Let me say something about the importance of science. It is the science, awareness of science at every level is absolutely critical to our future. What I said was very - was said with very serious intent. It is critical for our future and that's not just for the PhDs and professorial ranked scientists here, it applies to our children and our grandchildren as well. Stronger stem skills across the board are really vital for our future. You will be hearing more about that in the context of our innovation statement later in the year. But Greg, do you want to say something?
MINISTER HUNT: Just very briefly. This is the largest investment in the Antarctic science and research program in Australia's history, by an enormous amount and an enormous degree. The other thing is the scientific capacity is within the Antarctic Division but it's also in Hobart and Tasmania more generally which is why we have put in place the investment in the Cooperative Research Centre of $25 million, the Antarctic Gateway Partnership of $24 million, the investment in the runway of $38 million, which will allow us to have greater operations supporting science in Antarctica and only yesterday the announcement about the marine biodiversity hub with $24 million. So what we've done is invest in Hobart and Tasmania as an Antarctic science destination and center.
QUESTION: It says it's going to be commissioned in October 2019. When will it actually be operational?
MINISTER HUNT: That's the date we are looking at Nick?
DR GALES: That is correct.
QUESTION: Those negotiations haven't been finalised yet but you are confident you will be able to reach the terms of the tender?
MINISTER HUNT: We are very close. We are making sure we get absolute value for money and making extremely good progress. At the end of the day, Australia will get the best icebreaker in the Southern Hemisphere which will be scientifically, arguably the most capable of all of them and we'll get it at a very, very good outcome for the taxpayer.
QUESTION: Well, for the naming of the vessel?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the answer is yes. We're discussing it with the Minister. The plan is to really have a public competition and reach out and see what the Australian people want to name this vessel. It belongs to them perhaps after all. So that's - Greg, perhaps you can describe how you plan to go about it, Minister? It's a good idea. There will be lot of interest and can I say one thing - having invited you, now I'm going to interrupt you. One of the good things about doing that is it will engage young people and get them interested and excited about the history of Antarctic exploration. There's a bit of method in this idea that it will raise awareness about science, about the great names in science, the history of science and obviously in the context of the Antarctic.
MINISTER HUNT: So I 'll just say two daughter things briefly, the first is my daughter is named Poppy Celeste and she said, "Dad, you've got to name a new icebreaker. What do you think about the name Poppy Celeste?" I said, "It's a lovely name but I think the public should have the ability to decide." We discussed it this morning and agreed there should be a public competition for naming Australia's new icebreaker. We'll do that at the appropriate time. There are all sorts of maritime and nautical omens about when is the right and wrong time to name a ship so we won't invoke the sort of wrath of the nautical gods by doing it too early but the really exciting thing here is engaging school kids, students, the general public in the Antarctic program and they will come forward with some fantastic ideas and we'll open that up in due course.
QUESTION: Prime Minister, one of the great Southern Ocean issues that you’re familiar with is the issue of whaling.
PRIME MINISTER: Yep. I thought you were going to say Macquarie Island and the eradication of all of the rodents there as well. That worked.
QUESTION: Would you ask Japan not to go to the Southern Ocean whaling this summer?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we always ask - our position is standard that we, as you know as the Environment Minister in years past and again Greg can add to this, but we strongly encourage Japan to cease its whaling operations in any time, in any season, in any year.
QUESTION: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: I can assure you that the Japanese Government and Governments over many years are very well aware of Australia's position and it’s been a thoroughly consistent position we've had in regardless Government and Opposition regardless of who's in the Prime Minister's chair. Greg, do you want to add some more?
MINISTER HUNT: Very briefly, we don't support whaling. That position is clear and absolute. That's been a position that the Prime Minister held when he was Environment Minister and indeed went to the International Whaling Commission meeting.
PRIME MINISTER: I did indeed.
MINISTER HUNT: And that's my view, that's the Government's view and we have had and we are continuing to make that view known respectfully but very clearly to the Japanese Government.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much. Thank you.