The Federal Defence Minister has hit back at the state government’s new ad campaign to win a multi-billion dollar submarine maintenance contract.

WA Defence Issues Minister Paul Papalia launched the national ad campaign last week in the hopes of shifting the full cycle docking submarine maintenance program from South Australia to WA.

Federal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds spoke with Gareth Parker this morning.

“I think it is a bit duplicitous of the minister to focus on one aspect of it that may or may not happen for many years and actually to ignore what we have already done,” she said.

“We are putting billions of dollars into these facilities and into upgrades, but the simple fact is the facility is tired and it needs work, and that is the responsibility of the state government.”

She told Gareth “this is a political campaign for the next state election.”

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(Photo: iStock by Getty Images.)