Albanese has lashed out at a prominent think tank that accused the government of failing to spend enough on defence and leaving the Australian Defence Force unprepared for conflict.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s annual analysis of defence spending, released on Thursday, found a lack of short-term defence funding was creating a “paper ADF that lacks readiness for near‑term conflict scenarios” at a time of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
Australian army soldiers train at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory.Credit: Pfc. Matthew Mackintosh / Department of Defence
“Without urgent, coordinated and well‑resourced responses to those challenges, Australia risks a brittle and hollowed defence force, diminished industrial sovereignty, and compromised national security in a volatile Indo‑Pacific region,” the ASPI report said.
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The report, written by former Home Affairs deputy secretary Marc Ablong, also described the March budget as an “opportunity lost” to boost the ADF’s capabilities before major projects like the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines are delivered next decade.
Asked to comment on the report’s findings on Thursday, Albanese said: “Well, that’s what they do, isn’t it, ASPI? I mean seriously, they need to, I think, have a look at themselves as well and the way that they conduct themselves in debates.”
Read more on the PM’s response here.
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