THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CANNING

STATEMENT
RICHARD MARLES CUTS $80 BILLION FROM DEFENCE

Wednesday 17 April 2024

The Albanese Government’s release of the National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program was a test of leadership for Richard Marles.

It was a test to see if he could clearly articulate the challenges facing Australia, a strategy to deter those threats, and the funding necessary to support this.

Richard Marles has failed all three of these tests, and he is a weak Minister for Defence.

The Minister reverted to vague, bureaucratic language in talking about Australia’s national security and Defence spending, and we are still no clearer on what ‘impactful projection’ is, or how it will work for the Australian Defence Force.

Since coming to government, Richard Marles has presided over more than $80 billion of cuts and delays to the Defence budget despite the urgency of a reduced strategic warning time.

The Coalition has called for more funding now, not later. But today, the Minister refused to admit that most of the spending uplift in the next four years will be due to inflation and foreign exchange movements.

The Coalition rejects Richard Marles' ridiculous claim that defence spending is not bipartisan, considering most of the increase has been due to AUKUS—which the Coalition established and continues to support.

Under a Dutton Government, there will be clarity around threats to Australia, our strategy to defeat them, and defence funding will be higher than the Albanese Government.

[ENDS]