Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question and acknowledge his significant contribution to the defence policy of our government. On 10 March last year, the former government, led by the member for Cook, along with the Leader of the Opposition, announced an increase in our Defence Force personnel of 18½ thousand by 2040. The announcement was made at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, with all the hoopla in tow. The member for Cook described this as the single-biggest peacetime build-up of our Defence Force in our nation's history, and he said: 'It's not just about the dollars you invest or the support you provide. It's the instinct that you have.' You can almost hear him saying it, because, for those opposite, it was all about the vibe of the thing.

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