Australia's military spending plans are being likened to tipping water through a sieve as Greens Senator David Shoebridge argues for a total rethink of the nation's defence needs, despite widespread support for the AUKUS deal.
In an area that can burn government budgets like few others, Shoebridge is a unique defence spokesperson who believes the country spends too much on defence.
“There will never be enough money,” he told 7NEWS podcast The Issue.
Defence Minister's Strategy Adds $53 Billion
In mid-April, Defence Minister Richard Marles released a new National Defence Strategy, claiming to add $53 billion to defence spending over the next decade. The Opposition argues this is insufficient, with Leader Angus Taylor vowing in a new ad to “lift defence spending to at least 3 per cent of GDP.”
Shoebridge Slams Spending Race
In the interview, Shoebridge criticised the military spending race. “It’s like pouring water into a sieve,” he said. “We should be rethinking the platforms we need, the defence structure we need to be defending Australia.”
The standout project in defence spending is an estimated $368 billion over thirty years to acquire nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS. One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson expressed support: “I also believe in AUKUS and that needs to happen. We need to have that agreement with our allies.”
Submarine Handover Details
The Defence Minister recently learned that all three submarines earmarked from the US will have been in service before the 2030s handover. “The Virginia class submarines that we are acquiring will all be of the same type and I cannot overstate the significance of that,” Marles said.
The Greens argue that Australia's old reliance on the United States is now amplified by AUKUS. “Utter dependence, utter, complete dependence,” Shoebridge said. “Do we really want to go to war on the whim of Donald Trump or son of Donald Trump or whoever the hell is the president?”
Greens Policy Beyond AUKUS
The Greens policy goes well beyond simple arms length from Washington. It suggests ordering the Americans out of the central Australian intelligence and surveillance base, Pine Gap. “Yeah, I mean, I think giving notice on the lease. Like, no one likes to get notice on their lease. I think this is a universal human experience,” Shoebridge said.
