Minister rejects opposition claim AUKUS spending ‘cannibalising’ defence budget
Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy has rejected opposition claims that spending on Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program is “undermining existing capacity”.
Liberal senator James Paterson took up his new role as opposition defense spokesman last week by demanding the Albanian government increase military spending to 3 per cent of GDP, claiming the current 2 per cent was forcing Labor to reduce other defense capabilities.
Mr Conroy, who is tasked with building Australia’s offensive and defensive arsenal, said on Tuesday Senator Paterson’s comments were “incredibly ignorant”.
“He shows great ignorance of his portfolio and should spend less time talking and more time reading,” he told ABC radio.
“We are increasing the defense budget.
“We increased that figure by $70 billion in ten years, the largest increase in the defense budget in peacetime.”
Mr Conroy noted that the $21 billion earmarked to establish Australia’s dominant missile production refers to a factory already built and one that will be operational in 2027.
“We already have Ghost Sharks in the water, we are acquiring 11 Mogami-class general purpose frigates; we are developing capabilities in all areas,” he said.
Mr Conroy is meeting senior colleagues in the UK this week and visiting sites key to the delivery of AUKUS.
He said the $368 billion submarine deal had “achieved every milestone.”
“We are on track to cut steel by the end of the decade and deliver the first AUKUS submarine by the early 2040s,” he said.
Under the AUKUS agreement with the United Kingdom and the United States, the Navy will purchase three American Virginia-class submarines and will also have an option to purchase two more.
The first Australian-built SSN-AUKUS, a next-generation class designed by BAE Systems in the UK, is scheduled to be delivered in the early 2040s, with construction scheduled to begin at Osborne Naval Dockyard in Adelaide later this decade.
The shipyard is expected to build five SSN-AUKUS submarines.
