Interesting Dave R, the Canning (not Cannington) bi-election could be fertile ground for some defense contracts for WA ship Builders. WA ship work push as Canning poll looms
The interstate war for lucrative warship contracts threatens to spill over to the battle for Canning, with business pushing Tony Abbott to promise WA gets its share of work before the by-election.
The challenge comes as the Prime Minister prepares to travel to Perth to launch campaign for newly selected Liberal candidate Andrew Hastie.
The Abbott Government recently promised billions of dollars worth of work on a future class of frigates to South Australia, but is yet to say whether WA’s Austal ships will win a upcoming patrol boat contract, worth about $4 billion.
The Prime Minister recently suggested work on the boats – known as Offshore Patrol Vessels – would begin in Adelaide, even though it had been expected the work would go to Perth.
WA business and State political figures are in Canberra this week to press Perth’s case for a fair share of shipbuilding work.
