Joint statement on the nuclear-powered submarine propulsion challenge

The Opposition is calling on the Prime Minister to stand up to his union mates and reaffirm Labor’s commitment to AUKUS.

Reports that the Australian Education Union (AEU) are considering boycotting a STEM program, inviting high school students to participate in a competition to design nuclear-powered submarines (the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Propulsion Challenge), are concerning.

Australia is less than four years away from Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West) at HMAS Stirling. We face a massive task ahead to prove to our partners that we can safely own, operate, maintain, and regulate nuclear-powered submarines.

We all have a responsibility to encourage young Australians to get involved in this nation-building task and educate them about the benefits AUKUS will have for generations to come.

But commentary coming out of Labor and the unions is unsettling and puts our requirement to be ‘sovereign ready’ at risk.

The Prime Minister must show leadership by standing up to the AEU and guarantee that the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Propulsion Challenge will go ahead.