Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

They don't like it, but that is a fact. If you dispute the fact, stand up and point out where it's wrong. That is a fact. They did not support our defence industry. They did not support the Australian Defence Force. The fact is that this government has invested $270 billion over a decade into restoration of that support and making sure that we can support the security of this nation.

We have $183 billion in the Naval Shipbuilding Plan, which represents the largest regeneration of the Navy since the Second World War. More than 70 vessels will be built in Australia. We're purchasing 72 F-35A aircraft to replace the Hornets, with 37 aircraft already received and more than 10,000 hours flown. We're investing $55 billion into modernising our land capability over the decade. We are putting money into strike weapons. We're putting money into helicopters, logistics resilience, robotics and autonomous systems. We're putting money, importantly, into cyberdefences.

All Australians understand the risks that our country and other countries face in relation to those that would seek to exploit our systems. It is now more than ever important that we invest in those systems, and that is exactly what this budget is about.

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