This inquiry consists of a number of parts. The committee has tabled two parts so far:
- Part I - the tender process for the new supply ships, tabled on 27 August 2014; and
- Part II - the future submarines, tabled on 17 November 2014.
The committee is due to present its final report by 1 July 2015.
The terms of reference for Part I were:
the tender process for the Royal Australian Navy's new supply ships, and given the significant impact that this decision will have on the Australian shipbuilding industry, in particular:
- The reasons for the Government's decision in June 2014 to exclude Australian-based defence industry from tendering for the replacement of HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius, and instead have a restricted tender for Spanish and South Korean shipbuilders.
- The capacity of Australian shipbuilding to carry out, in part or in full, the construction and fit-out of two auxiliary ships to replace the Navy's HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius.
- The role of the Department of Finance and/or Department of Treasury and/or Department of Defence, the Finance Minister and/or the Treasurer and/or the Defence Minister, in the Government's decision to exclude Australian defence industry from tendering for the auxiliary ship replacement project.
- The feasibility of including Australian industry participants in the tender process for the replacement auxiliary ships.
- The management and performance of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) that contributed to the Government's decision to exclude Australian industry from tendering for the replacement auxiliary ships.
- Any related matters.
The term of reference for the overall report is: the future sustainability of Australia's strategically vital naval shipbuilding industry.