- The Strategist - https://www.aspistrategist.org.au -
Mind the gap, Mr Abbott
Posted By Peter Jennings on September 25, 2012 @ 15:30
Any savings that the Coalition can find in the defence bureaucracy will be reinvested in greater military capacity. Our aspiration, as the Commonwealth’s budgetary position improves, would be to restore the three per cent real growth in defence spending that marked the final seven years of the Howard government.
This is not a decision … that can be made from opposition. Within 18 months of an election, an incoming Coalition government would make the short and medium term decisions necessary to ensure that Australia has no submarine capability gap.
The other big procurement decision is the timing of our acquisition of the Joint Strike Fighter. Again, without detailed operational advice, this is not a decision that an opposition can make but we will make it within 18 months of a change of government.
Within 18 months of an election, an incoming Coalition government would publish a new Defence White Paper with costed, affordable ways to meet Australia’s defence and national security objectives.
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URL to article: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/mind-the-gap-mr-abbott/
[1] Image: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/5247626184_2b495a914d_b.jpeg
[2] speech today to the RSL National Conference: http://tonyabbott.com.au/News/tabid/94/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8899/Address-to-2012-RSL-National-Conference-Sydney.aspx
[3] out little hope for a return to growth soon: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/graph-of-the-week-revenues-and-defence-spending/
[4] span the widening gap: http://www.aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=335
[5] Peter Jennings: http://www.aspi.org.au/sitefunction/cv.aspx?sid=1
[6] Royal Australian Navy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/royal_australian_navy/5247626184/