PRIME MINISTER
SPEECH TO GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT FACTORIES -AVALON
16 NOVEMBER 1984
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE
THE ROLL-OUT OF THE FIRST F/ A-18 HORNET ASSEMBLED IN
AUSTRALIA, THIS AIRCRAFT HAS PROBABLY ATTRACTED MORE PRAISE THAN
ANY PREVIOUS FIGHTER PLANE$
IDON'T WISH TO COMPETE WITH THE SUPERLATIVES WHICH WERE
LAVISHLY DISTRIBUTED AT THE HAND-OVER LAST MONTH IN
ST Louis OF THE: FIRST RAAF HORNET. INSTEAD I WANT TO
EMPHASISE THE G6* VERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE UPGRADING
OF AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE CAPABILITY AND THE'ROLE IN THIS
PROGRAM OF THE F/ A-18.
PROVIDING FOR NATIONAL DEFENCE IS THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL OF
ALL GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES.
THE GOVERNMENT IS ADDRESSING THIS RESPONSIBILITY IN A
SENSITIVE AND EFFECTIVE MANNER$ / 2.01.
A
FIRST, WE HAVE GIVEN VERY HIGH PRIORITY TO PROMOTING
FRIENDLY AND CO-OPERATIVE RELATIONS WITH AND AMONG THE
COUNTRIES IN OUR IMMEDIATE REGION, THOSE RELATIONS TODAY
ARE MARKED BY AN UNPRECEDENTED DEGREE OF CLOSENESS AND
MUTUAL CONFIDENCE. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO
REDUCING THE RISK OF ARMED CONFLICT.
SECOND, WE HAVE SUPPORTED MEASURES THAT PROMOTE A STABLE
INTERNATIONAL ORDER, ESPECIALLY THE STABILITY OF THE
STRATEGIC NUCLEAR BALANCE, WE HAVE DONE THIS THROUGH:
PROMOTING EFFECTIVE ARMS CONTROdL AND DISARMAMENT
MEASURES. LABOR WILL NEVER CONTEMPLATE'* A NUCLEAR
WEAPONS OPTION FOR THIS COUNTRYj
THROUGH EtiSURING THAT ANZUS IS A CLOSE AND
' EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP;
AND THROUGH OUR INVOLVEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL
PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN SITUATIONS OF ACUTE
INTERNATIONAL TENSION.
THIRD, THERE is AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE EFFORT ITSELF. HERE
WE ASPIRE TO A CAPABILITY THAT IS VISIBLY DEFENSIVE AND
SUFFICIENTLY POTENT TO BE A CREDIBLE DETERRENT. / 34 0 a
IN GOVERNMENT WE HAVE INCREASELD DEFENCE SPENDINC SUBSTANTiALLY, iT IS
OUR FIRM INTENTION TO MAINTAIN SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN DEFENCE SPENDING AND
A GREATER DEGREE OF DEFENCE SELF-RELIANCE.
IN OUR FIRST TWO BUDGETS WE HAVE INCREASED DEFENCE EXPENDITURE AT AN
AVERAGE RATE OF ABOUT 3.7 PER CENT IN REAL TERMS. THIS COMPARES WITH
AN AVERAGE INCREASE UNDER THE FRASER GOVERNMENT OF ABOUT 2.5 PER CENT.
THIS SHOWS THE NONSENSE OF OUR OPPONENTS' TALK ABOUT OUR SO-CALLED ' CUTS'
IN DEFENCE SPENDING. THE FACT IS THAT UNDER LABOR DEFENCE SPENDING HAS
INCREASED MORE RAPIDLY THAN UNDER OUR PREDECESSORS.
THE GOVERNMENT IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OUR CURRENT FAVOURABLE SECURITY
OUTLOOK TO CONCENTRATE ON INVESTMENTS THAT WILL CONSOLIDATE AND ENHANCE
OUR DEFENCE CAPABILITY OVER THE LONGER TERM PARTICULARLY INVESTMENTS
IN MAJOR EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES.
THE F/ A-18s ARE PERHAPS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE AND TANGIBLE EXPRESSION
OF THIS POLICY TO DATE. THEY WILL MAKE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO
OUR ABILITY TO PRESENT OURSELVES AS A FORMIDABLE AND INDEPENDENT
DEFENCE PRESENCE IN OUR REGION.
THE VERSATILITY OF THE F/ A-18s, AS A TACTICAL FIGHTER, IN ALL
WEATHER CONDITIONS, ITS MANOEUVRABILITY AND ITS EASE OF
MAINTENANCE ALL MAKE IT PARTICULARLY SUITED TO OUR. NEEDS,
THIS AIRCRAFT IS ALSO IN THE FOREFRONT OF TECHNOLOGY AND, BECAUSE
OF ITS ADVANCED DESIGN, WILL BE ASSURED OF LONG SERVICE WITH THE
RAAF. s
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE F/ A-18 INTO THE RAAF WILL ALSO
GREATLY BENEFIT THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRY. THIS
IS BY FAR THE LARGEST SINGLE DEFENCE PROJECT EVER
MANAGED IN AUSTRALIA AND IT WILL PROVIDE THE DOMINANT
WORKLOAD FOR THE AUSTRALIAN AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY FOR QUITE A
FEW YEARS TO COME.
THE AUSTRALIAN AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IS ALSO BENEFITTING
SUBSTANTIALLY FROM THE F/ A-18 PROGRAM. THE GOVERNMENT IS
PROVIDING CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRAINING TO THE
VALUE OF $ 94.5 MILLION FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPONENT
PARTS, AND FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF ENGINES AND AIRCRAFT.
THIS WORK, AND ASSOCIATED OFFSET WORK, WILL INVOLVE SOME
2,000 JOBS IN THE INDUSTRY OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS1
THE AUSTRALIAN BUILDING INDUSTRY WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM
THE PROJECT AS THERE WILL BE EXTENSIVE WORK THIS YEAR TO
PREPARE THE RAAF BASE AT WILLIAMTOWN, NSW, FOR THE
INTRODUCTION OF THE F/ A-18 AND TO RF-DEVELOP THE RAAF BASE
AT TINDAL IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.
IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW LEVEL OF SECURITY FOR THE
NORTH AND FOR AUSTRALIA AS A WHOLE, THE F/ A-18 WILL PLAY
A VITAL ROLE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
THE GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT FACTORIES AND ALL THOSE ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS PROJECT CAN BE PROUD OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO
THAT ACHIEVEMENTI