Australian news and politics recap: NSW Liberal Party floats AI ministry to save funds across public service

As the conflict in the Middle East continues to create uncertainty, thousands of Australians have registered their intention to return home from Israel and Iran.

Overnight, a group of Australians landed in Sydney after finally getting out of Tel Aviv on a RAAF jet. Another group is expected to arrive later on Thursday.

“We are providing further assisted travel. We’ve had defence assets in the region ready to go for when airspace opens up,” said Finance Minister Katy Gallagher on ABC News Breakfast.

“We had 4,000 Australians register in both Iran and Israel who have indicated they would like to come home. And so, those flights have helped with that. As airspace opens and more commercial options are available, we would expect to see more Australians coming home through those options as well.”

“We have DFAT staff assisting on the border of Azerbaijan and they will continue to be there. It is difficult. We are hoping that if the ceasefire holds, we would be able to see further options available to people. Because obviously they are the ones that are really wanting to return home as soon as possible.”

Australia is facing renewed pressure to ramp up defence spending as US President Donald Trump pushes for NATO countries to lift their budgets to 5 per cent of GDP.

Australia’s defence spending is projected to reach about 2.4 per cent of GDP by the mid-2030s, while other NATO members like the UK and US are rapidly accelerating their military budgets in response to global uncertainty.

“We are actually already very substantially increasing our investment in defence. We’ve found room in tight budgets for an extra $11bn over the forward estimates and around $57.5bn over the course of the next decade,” Gallagher told ABC News Breakfast on Thursday morning.

“We have been increasing defence spending. When we came to government, it wasn’t what it should have been and delivering the capability needed. Pat Conroy and the Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, have been trying to turn that ship around.

“We’ve put billions of dollars into defence. We understand the environment we’re working in. We take the advice of our agencies seriously.

“When they come to us and say, this is the capability we need, and this is the funding that’s required, we have provided that funding and that’s the approach we’ll continue to take.”

Gallagher also stressed, “It is a balancing act. But the government’s job is to make sure that all areas of government are funded properly, including defence. Those choices are on my desk every day. We’ll continue to make them in the best interests of Australia.”