The Issue Podcast: ‘Never enough’: Greens Senator David Shoebridge slams Australia’s defence spending as wasteful blowout
‘It’s like pouring water into a sieve.’
Australia’s military spending plans are being likened to tipping water through a sieve as a Greens Senator believes Australia needs a total rethink of what’s required to defend the country, despite widespread support for the AUKUS deal.
In an area that can burn government budgets like few others, David Shoebridge is unique - he is a defence spokesperson who reckons we spend too much on defence.
“There will never be enough money,” he tells 7NEWS podcast The Issue.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.In mid April, Defence Minister Richard Marles released a new National Defence Strategy, claiming to add $53 billion to defence spending over the next decade.
That’s not enough, says the Opposition, including in this new ad.
“We’ll lift defence spending to at least 3 per cent of GDP,” Opposition Leader Angus Taylor says in the ad.
In an interview for 7NEWS podcast The Issue, Shoebridge slams the military spending race.
“It’s like pouring water into a sieve,” he says.
“We should be rethinking the platforms we need, the defence structure we need to be defending Australia.”
The stand out project in defence spending; an estimated $368 billion across thirty years to lift Australia into the small club of countries operating nuclear powered submarines
“I also believe in AUKUS and that needs to happen. We need to have that agreement with our allies,” One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson says.
The Defence Minister recently learning all three submarines earmarked from the US, will have been in service there before 2030s handover.
“The Virginia class submarines that we are acquiring will all be of the same type and I cannot overstate the significance of that,” Marles said.
The Greens argue our old reliance on the United States is now amplified by AUKUS.
“Utter dependence, utter, complete dependence,” Shoebridge says.
“Do we really want to go to war on the whim of Donald Trump or son of Donald Trump or whoever the hell is the president?”
In fact, the Greens policy goes well beyond simple arms length from Washington.
For example, it suggests ordering the Americans out of central Australian intelligence and surveillance base, Pine Gap.
“Yeah, I mean, I think giving notice on the lease. Like, no one likes to get notice on their lease. I think this is a universal human experience,” Shoebridge says.
You can catch more of The Issue on Listnr or watch full episodes on our YouTube channel.
Originally published as ‘Never enough’: Australia’s defence spending criticised as wasteful blowout
