Labor wants decision on future submarine fleet put to tender

Labor is seeking to ensure that a tender process alone determines who will build Australia's future submarine fleet.

The federal opposition wants at least four bidders invited to participate in a tender to design and build the next generation of submarines to replace the six Collins class fleet.

It wants this commitment enshrined in legislation and is expected to ask the Senate to back an amendment to that effect on Tuesday.

But the government has dismissed this effort as a stunt and has vowed to oppose it.

The debate over the nation's future submarine fleet stepped up a notch last week when Defence Minister David Johnston said he wouldn't trust the nation's shipbuilder ASC to "build a canoe".

Labor wants the fleet built in Adelaide by ASC but the government is seriously examining the Japanese Soryu-class submarine as a potential replacement.