Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

You're a hard bugger! But let me just say I appreciate the way in which the opposition shadow minister is carrying himself, and I do not particularly mind his interjections.

Mr Robert interjecting —

But through the chair—absolutely. The government, as we said, have spent more than ever before. The government also provide Defence with six years of general guidance beyond the forward estimates for planning purposes. This obviously concedes that attempting to provide tens of—I do not know what we are doing, but people are escaping—years of funding with precision is extremely difficult given the volatility in the world economy and government revenue forecasts. This budget, the government will provide Defence guidance of over $220 billion. Together, these amount to approximately $333 billion. So we are obviously committed, as you well know, to increasing the Defence budget funding towards a target of two per cent of GDP as and when fiscal circumstances allow, and I think that is broadly consistent with the view of the opposition. It is a long-term objective that will be implemented in an economically responsible way as and when fiscal circumstances allow.

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