Australia will provide 20 more Bendigo-built Bushmaster vehicles to Ukraine and prohibit Russian gold imports, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a historic visit to the bombed capital.
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Following the announcement, Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters said the future of the Bushmaster manufacturer Thales was bright.
Ms Chesters said the success of the armed vehicles was a credit to local manufacturers.
"This is a testament to the men and women who work at Thales but also to many of the small businesses, local businesses that supply into Thales," she said.
The Bushmasters have received strong feedback from countries across the world, and Ms Chesters said the PM was hearing no different.
"Anthony Albanese has been on the ground in Ukraine and learned first-hand how they are helping with their war and how they are keeping their soldiers and civilians safe, keeping them alive," she said.
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Bushmasters have also recently been deployed to New South Wales to assist with flood efforts in the state.
However, several Hawkeis sit idle and unused at Thales, with the former federal government citing brake issues as the reason for delaying their uptake.
"There are a couple of suggestions in the lead-up to the election that there was a brake issue," Ms Chesters said. "But that just wasn't true.
"We need to get to the bottom of why the former government did not pay the bill and why those 550 Hawkeis are still sitting on the lawns here in Bendigo."
Ms Chesters said the legacy was something the current government was not keen to repeat.
With Australian Associated Press
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