DEFENCE Industries Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith is calling for a new Team Australia approach to politics after the Federal Election, revealing the current Defence Minister has refused to ever meet him. 
As he lobbies for more co-operation, Mr Hamilton-Smith has also written to Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten calling for an economic commitment to the more than $400 million masterplan for the Cultana Training Area with a focus on jobs for the local region.
Mr Hamilton-Smith said Defence Minister Marise Payne had rejected "repeated requests" since she became Defence Minister in   September last year to meet him to discuss defence issues in SA.
Earlier this year, Mr Hamilton-Smith was snubbed by Federal Industry Minister Christopher Pyne when he was not invited to a Business SA round table including Ms Payne.
He believes if the new Future Submarine project, frigates and offshore patrol vessel projects announced for South Australia are to be delivered effectively there must be a new relationship with the next federal government.
"I think a return to the level of co-operation that we saw between the Howard government and the Rann government would be good news for South Australian workers and industry," he said.
"This is what SA workers and businesses expect, for all ministers, state and federal, to act in a statesmanlike manner. They have zero tolerance for what's perceived to be political posturing. This is a Team Australia project." Minister Payne said she had met Premier Jay Weatherill, Defence SA chief Andy Keough, Defence SA Advisory Board chair Sir Angus Houston, key defence industry leaders and chancellors and vice-chancellors at the universities.
There were no responses to Mr Hamilton-Smith's letter about Cultana, dated last week, but the Prime Minister yesterday announced a $297 million contract for Raytheon to remediate, upgrade and support Woomera test range.
Mr Hamilton-Smith now hopes for a commitment to the Cultana area's neighbouring cities that have been hit with the closure of the Alinta Power Station and demise of Arrium.
He believes the work will involve roads and maintenance, land management, camps, an airstrip and weapons ranges including a village.
He wants a similar approach to the State Govern-ment where it tried to give more South Australian companies work through government purchasing.State Procurement Board data show that in 2014-15, 90 per cent of the value of government goods and services contracts were let to South Australian based suppliers.