Abbott Government Minister and South Australian Liberal MP, Jamie Briggs, has threatened to punish South Australia and its vital Defence industry to exact vengeance on new Defence Industries Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith.
In a fit of pique Mr Briggs and his Government have threatened to re-direct future defence projects to other states.This would cost thousands of South Australian jobs.
Mr Briggs has boasted that his home state wont get a fair go in Defence work, saying Martin Hamilton-Smith certainly wont get access that other (states) will.
South Australias Defence industries will contribute $2.5 billion to the State economy and employ over 38,000 people by 2020.
The state currently holds 25 per cent of the nation's defence projects, including the largest defence project on record the Air Warfare Destroyer.
Shadow Assistant Defence Minister David Feeney said, The threat from Mr Briggs to exact revenge on Mr Hamilton-Smith by undermining South Australias Defence industries is another example of the Abbott Government placing its partisan interests ahead of the national interest.
The Future Submarine project, the Air Warfare Destroyer project, the expansion of the Cultana Training Area and the significant presence of the Australian Defence Force and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation at RAAF Base Edinburgh are all vital to the South Australian economy.They are also vital to our national defence.
The threat made by Mr Briggs is a new low and compounds the looming threat to our shipbuilding capability in South Australia by the failure to address the Valley of Death issue in the budget.
South Australian Senator and Labor Senate Leader Senator Penny Wong said, It is extraordinary that Tony Abbott is standing by while Jamie Briggs threatens to inflict payback on all South Australians.
The Abbott Governments first Budget has already cut hundreds of millions of dollars from South Australian families, pensioners, schools, hospitals and roads.
Now Liberal Party partisanship is jeopardising defence jobs.
Mr Briggs might be a junior Minister, but its time he grew up.
 
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