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

Tonight's budget contains an increase in defence spending of $5.7 billion, which on its own terms is the single-largest increase in defence spending over a four-year cycle in decades. It far outstrips any increases that we saw over the lost decade when those opposite were in power. This is an inconvenient truth which sticks in their craw, because, from their perspective, this is just not how it's meant to be. This forms part of a $12.1 billion increase over 10 years, which is also in the budget. When you combine that with the decisions that were taken in last year's budget, over the next decade we will see an additional $50 billion spent on defence relative to what we inherited when we came to power.

Those opposite have refused to commit to that increase. The shadow minister, in his desperation, is literally saying anything, but, as recently as Sunday, the shadow Treasurer could not have been clearer that the Liberals are refusing to commit to this increase. All the while, the shadow shadow minister, Senator Paterson, is left to be the one who is out there making speeches about Liberal defence policy. They are a mess. They are falling back on their pathetic, tired whimpers that they'll always be the party which spends more on defence, just as they are always the party of lower taxation. But everyone in this chamber knows that it is precisely the opposite which is the case, because, when they last presided over the Treasury bench, they ran a government which grossly underfunded defence. Whether we are talking about guided weapons, increases in Defence Force personnel or more ships, every one of those announcements that they made was underfunded by billions and billions of dollars.

The truth of the matter is that it is the Albanese Labor government which is delivering a tax cut to every working Australian. It is the Albanese Labor government which has delivered two budget surpluses in a row, and it is the Albanese Labor government which is delivering historic increases in defence spending. The Liberals were big on defence marketing and defence politics, but it is the Albanese Labor government which has committed to doing what it takes to keep Australians safe.

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