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

I thank the member for her question and acknowledge her service. Last Tuesday the government announced its plan for the future Royal Australian Navy surface fleet, which will see an increase in the number of our surface combatants from 11 to 26, giving us the most capable Navy in the country's history. It will also see an acceleration of the acquisition of those service combatants such that the first will come into service this decade—in five years, not 10.

But the most important point is that this is a plan which is paid for, with an $11.1 billion increase in defence spending to fully fund the $54 billion it will take to make this happen. This is real. This is not make-believe. This is not the kind of announcement that we were used to from those opposite, such as the $35 billion guided weapons program where they only put $1 billion on the table. And this increase, combined with increases in last year's budget, will see defence spending go to 2.4 per cent of GDP by the early 2030s, and that compares to what we inherited from those opposite, which was taking defence spending to 2.1 per cent.

We have heard a lot from the Liberals over the last couple of months about defence spending. They and their little coven of supporters have been dancing around the fire, whipping each other into a frenzy. And, as they have been barking at the moon, we have—

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