Australia defence budget increase: Military capability not just dollars, government says
A high -level minister says the abolition of the Federal Defense Budget will be based on what the Australian army will achieve, and that it will rely on an arbitrary dollar figure.
After NATO agreed to raise its allies to five percent of GDP, the pressure to remove defense expenditures on the Albanian Government increased.
Australia, by 2033/34 to spend their spending to 2.3 percent, while the United States called for 3.5 percent.
However, Interior Minister Tony Burke said that Australia has already removed its expenditures on the army and that the armed forces will focus on the ability to protect the country.
Burke told Sky News on Sunday, “We start with talent, we do not start with dollars and we work with every financial decision of the government,” he said.
“With these talent decisions, we spend more than spent before taking office.”
Despite the pressure from the United States, Burke said that Australia’s relationship with America is not at risk.
“The relationship with the US is really important,” he said.
“We have mature, good, respectful conversations with the United States, but as I said, the conversation does not start with dollars at the end.”
Opposition Defense Spokesman Angus Taylor said that instability worldwide strengthens the need for countries such as Australia to spend more on defense.
“We see that the authoritarian regimes around the world stretch the muscles, and open, democratic societies like ours should stand up for what we believe in and be sure that we have reached peace through deterrence,” he said.
“There is a series of things that are very clear to spend … And there are a series of areas where we see that it is inadequate funding right now.”
Before the Federal election, the opposition promised to increase the defense budget to three percent of GDP.
However, there was uncertainty about where extra money would come from.
Mr. Taylor said that the budget of the army should be increased regardless of whether there is pressure from the US.
“If a government is not in a position to keep the people safe, it failed as a government,” he said.
“This is a disaster for Australians and Australia, we need to become serious about it, and I will continue to take the government into account, because this is a failure from our government.”
