Latest news with #RichardMarles
Sky News AU
11 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Richard Marles' 'ridiculous' position on defence funding comes at a bad time as NATO nations vow to ramp up their budgets
Why didn't Richard Marles explain to Donald Trump and the other 31 leaders of NATO nations that they don't need to invest more in their nations' defence to deal with an aggressive Russia enabled by China? Instead, they only need to focus on the quality of their existing two per cent of GDP spend. Surely they would be delighted to know that the actual amount of money they allocate to their military is a mere distraction. I suspect the reason Mr Marles kept this theory to himself is because he knows it's ridiculous. It's a manoeuvre that can justify sitting on his hands while our nation faces dangerous times. Politicians are used to using arguments of convenience to get through their days and avoid uncomfortable facts, but when it comes to Australia's security, we've reached new high points of sophistry and avoidance. Unlike our own leader Mr Albanese and his deputy Richard Marles, NATO leaders apparently do think the headline budget for defence matters. That's why the national leaders of this 32 nation grouping have just agreed to lift defence spending from two per cent of GDP to five per cent (made up of 3.5 per cent on defence and another 1.5 per cent on defence-related investments like roads and bridges that can support heavy military equipment). Mr Marles must also have known that the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had been trying out the other line on defence spending that the Albanese government uses here at home to hide the fact they're leaving our military short. Mr Sanchez had tried to convince other European leaders that 2.1 per cent of GDP on defence was enough because Spain knew the capabilities it needed and this determined their spend. Sound familiar? Except that we're not even matching Spain, we're stuck at two per cent (and Spain isn't trying to afford nuclear submarines in their budget). The reaction to this ploy by the Spanish leader in Europe was best captured by an official who simply said 'I have no words to express my disgust'. So, no surprise Mr Marles would have been delighted to be squashed up in the back corner of the formal leaders' photo well out of the way. He must have been even more delighted to not have to meet Donald Trump or any other senior US administration figure and be forced into a serious conversation. Reacting to the Spanish government's position, Trump has since said he's considering doubling US tariffs on Spain to shift their thinking. One other point on the 'we fund the capabilities we need rather than setting some arbitrary top line number' nonsense from our government. The government's own strategic review, by Angus Houston and Stephen Smith, recommended a list of capabilities Australia's military needed and quick as a flash, the government didn't fund them. They set an arbitrary top line budget – two per cent of GDP – and cancelled plans the review supported on key systems like air and missile defence and support ships to let our Navy operate at range. The hypocrisy is so thick it's getting hard to breathe. Now, what about Mr Marles' new manoeuvre – the money you budget to spend isn't what matters, it's the quality of how you spend it? I tried that out at home, but my partner told me our budget was what determined what we can and can't buy. And Joseph Stalin famously said 'quantity has a quality all its own'. That's still true. But beyond that, the way the Australian Defence organisation spends the $59 billion taxpayers are giving it annually is wasteful and profligate. The last thing it could be described as is quality. So, we're in the worst of worlds: not spending enough and spending what we do have badly. In international defence circles, the extravagance and delay in Australia's acquisition of three Hunter class frigates ranks near the top of scandal-plagued defence programs. The frigates were chosen back in 2018, but it's taking until 2032 for the first ship to be delivered to the Navy. And each ship is costing $9 billion (our three better armed air warfare destroyers cost less than $3 billion each). The Hunter frigates are so lightly armed that when we have the first three sometime in the late 2030s, they would all be outgunned and overmatched by the single Chinese cruiser that circumnavigated Australia earlier this year. The Americans are thinking about cancelling their own frigate program that's buying Constellation class ships similar to our Hunters because it's taking nine years to get the first ship (not 14 years like us) and each ship is costing $AUD1.8 billion (not $9 billion). The Americans think this is outrageously delayed and expensive, but our Navy's Hunter program makes it look like a beacon of efficiency. Our Navy has more admirals than it does warships – and Admirals are meant to command fleets. The Hunter frigates are Faberge egg level of luxurious self indulgence. And those Faberge eggs were the high point of extravagance and decay in the Russian empire of the czars on its way to being toppled by the Russian Revolution. If only the same was in prospect in the halls of Defence Headquarters in Canberra, without the violence. One other example from a completely different part of our Defence organisation shows the Hunter scandal is not a lonely phenomenon. Back in 2020, the then Morrison government's Force Structure Update said that being able to build at least some of the missiles our military would need in time of war was an urgent and essential thing and instructed Defence to act. Defence responded, rapidly forming a new internal bureaucratic outfit within Defence it called the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance enterprise. Five years on its 900 person staff have however, not proven to be terribly enterprising. There is one piece of good news: they have managed to give one company a contract to build a missile factory in Newcastle. But apart from that, the primary other outcome from what must be at least a $100 million per annum staff bill so far seems to be funding a study about where a large shed – grandly named the Australian Weapons Manufacturing Complex - might eventually be located that Lockheed Martin can then use to assemble short range land missiles made in America (the government has talked about this as 'production'). Do we need 900 people in a new organisation within the already bloated Defence organisation to sign contracts with companies? Everything it is doing looks just like business as usual for Defence before it even existed. And can we afford to be so sleepy about an essential input for our military that we know they will run out of in weeks if there is a war? Plenty of other nations get much better value for what they spend on defence. Finland, Norway, Singapore, Poland and South Korea are examples, let alone Ukraine and Israel. So, change is possible. The money Defence is getting is delivering a weaker military right at the time Australia needs a stronger one. The huge expense of the very slow projects the government is allowing Defence to spend our taxpayer funds on – Hunter frigates and nuclear powered submarines – is sucking all the money out of the rest of our force and doing nothing for our security for the next 15 years. This is what Mr Marles describes as doing what is necessary to 'meet the strategic moment'. Australia deserves better from our government and our defence bureaucracy. And so do the men and women of our defence force. Michael Shoebridge is a contributor and the founder and director of Strategic Analysis Australia
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Defence Minister Richard Marles celebrates a win amid Coalition criticism
With a cloud hanging over the AUKUS submarine deal and the Opposition attacking the government for refusing to bow to United States pressure to lift Defence spending, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles is preparing to celebrate a win. The Albanese government's plan for a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet for the Royal Australian Navy will hit a milestone on Saturday with the addition of the HMAS Arafura. Built by German shipbuilder Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Shipyard in South Australia, the vessel entered Fremantle this week ahead of a commissioning ceremony on Saturday, following testing and evaluation by Defence. Mr Marles said the commissioning of HMAS Arafura "marks an important milestone" and meant the Navy could "continue to ensure the safety and security of our maritime borders". "We will continue to see the Navy introduce new vessels into its fleet," he said. It is the first Arafura class offshore patrol vessel of the Navy's surface fleet, with a second - NUSHIP Eyre - having been built and awaiting acceptance by the Navy. On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese resisted pressure to commit a higher proportion of GDP to defence spending, as the US insisted its allies increase their share. The Opposition heaped criticism on Mr Albanese this week over defence spending and the Prime Minister's inability, to date, to secure a make-up meeting or phone call with United States President Donald Trump, who cancelled a face-to-face last week as he left the G7 Leaders' Summit early to deal with the Israel-Iran crisis. Mr Albanese had been expected to seek Mr Trump's ongoing support for Australia's $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, which has been subjected to a Pentagon review. Australia is contracted to buy three off-the-shelf nuclear submarines from the US before making eight of its own, with the first submarine not expected to join the Australian fleet for years. The US only has to deliver the submarines if it has enough for the US Navy's use - and American shipyards are not on track to meet domestic targets, leading to fears the deal could fall over. On Friday, the Prime Minister said his government was "making sure that Australia has the capability that we need". "We've increased it by $57 billion over the medium term and by more than $10 billion in the short term as well," he told reporters in Sydney. Foreign Minister Penny Wong is preparing to fly to the US for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of discussions between the foreign ministers of Quad alliance nations. Four more Arafura class offshore patrol vessels are under construction at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia. They boast a greater range of 4000 nautical miles and can perform roles that previously required numerous vessels, with improved living quarters and amenities to better support personnel. The procurement of the new fleet responds to recommendations of the Independent Analysis into Navy's Surface Combatant Fleet. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and her defence spokesman Angus Taylor this week blasted the government for refusing to commit to higher defence spending. On Friday, Mr Taylor said boosting spending levels was not about doing what the US wanted. "This is not about being bullied," he said. "This is about doing the right thing for our great country, and that's what we want to see." NATO member countries announced this week that they had agreed to spend 5 per cent of their economic output on defence and security, after calls to do so by Mr Trump. This led to increased pressure on Washington's Indo-Pacific allies to do the same, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying countries such as Australia should follow suit. "If our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do that, I think our allies and our friends in the Asia-Pacific region can do it as well," she said. NATO nations will be expected to spend 3.5 per cent of their gross domestic product on core defence and a further 1.5 per cent on broader security. Australia's defence spending is set to rise from 2 per cent of GDP now to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, with the Coalition calling for a 3 per cent target within 10 years. With AAP With a cloud hanging over the AUKUS submarine deal and the Opposition attacking the government for refusing to bow to United States pressure to lift Defence spending, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles is preparing to celebrate a win. The Albanese government's plan for a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet for the Royal Australian Navy will hit a milestone on Saturday with the addition of the HMAS Arafura. Built by German shipbuilder Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Shipyard in South Australia, the vessel entered Fremantle this week ahead of a commissioning ceremony on Saturday, following testing and evaluation by Defence. Mr Marles said the commissioning of HMAS Arafura "marks an important milestone" and meant the Navy could "continue to ensure the safety and security of our maritime borders". "We will continue to see the Navy introduce new vessels into its fleet," he said. It is the first Arafura class offshore patrol vessel of the Navy's surface fleet, with a second - NUSHIP Eyre - having been built and awaiting acceptance by the Navy. On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese resisted pressure to commit a higher proportion of GDP to defence spending, as the US insisted its allies increase their share. The Opposition heaped criticism on Mr Albanese this week over defence spending and the Prime Minister's inability, to date, to secure a make-up meeting or phone call with United States President Donald Trump, who cancelled a face-to-face last week as he left the G7 Leaders' Summit early to deal with the Israel-Iran crisis. Mr Albanese had been expected to seek Mr Trump's ongoing support for Australia's $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, which has been subjected to a Pentagon review. Australia is contracted to buy three off-the-shelf nuclear submarines from the US before making eight of its own, with the first submarine not expected to join the Australian fleet for years. The US only has to deliver the submarines if it has enough for the US Navy's use - and American shipyards are not on track to meet domestic targets, leading to fears the deal could fall over. On Friday, the Prime Minister said his government was "making sure that Australia has the capability that we need". "We've increased it by $57 billion over the medium term and by more than $10 billion in the short term as well," he told reporters in Sydney. Foreign Minister Penny Wong is preparing to fly to the US for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of discussions between the foreign ministers of Quad alliance nations. Four more Arafura class offshore patrol vessels are under construction at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia. They boast a greater range of 4000 nautical miles and can perform roles that previously required numerous vessels, with improved living quarters and amenities to better support personnel. The procurement of the new fleet responds to recommendations of the Independent Analysis into Navy's Surface Combatant Fleet. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and her defence spokesman Angus Taylor this week blasted the government for refusing to commit to higher defence spending. On Friday, Mr Taylor said boosting spending levels was not about doing what the US wanted. "This is not about being bullied," he said. "This is about doing the right thing for our great country, and that's what we want to see." NATO member countries announced this week that they had agreed to spend 5 per cent of their economic output on defence and security, after calls to do so by Mr Trump. This led to increased pressure on Washington's Indo-Pacific allies to do the same, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying countries such as Australia should follow suit. "If our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do that, I think our allies and our friends in the Asia-Pacific region can do it as well," she said. NATO nations will be expected to spend 3.5 per cent of their gross domestic product on core defence and a further 1.5 per cent on broader security. Australia's defence spending is set to rise from 2 per cent of GDP now to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, with the Coalition calling for a 3 per cent target within 10 years. With AAP With a cloud hanging over the AUKUS submarine deal and the Opposition attacking the government for refusing to bow to United States pressure to lift Defence spending, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles is preparing to celebrate a win. The Albanese government's plan for a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet for the Royal Australian Navy will hit a milestone on Saturday with the addition of the HMAS Arafura. Built by German shipbuilder Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Shipyard in South Australia, the vessel entered Fremantle this week ahead of a commissioning ceremony on Saturday, following testing and evaluation by Defence. Mr Marles said the commissioning of HMAS Arafura "marks an important milestone" and meant the Navy could "continue to ensure the safety and security of our maritime borders". "We will continue to see the Navy introduce new vessels into its fleet," he said. It is the first Arafura class offshore patrol vessel of the Navy's surface fleet, with a second - NUSHIP Eyre - having been built and awaiting acceptance by the Navy. On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese resisted pressure to commit a higher proportion of GDP to defence spending, as the US insisted its allies increase their share. The Opposition heaped criticism on Mr Albanese this week over defence spending and the Prime Minister's inability, to date, to secure a make-up meeting or phone call with United States President Donald Trump, who cancelled a face-to-face last week as he left the G7 Leaders' Summit early to deal with the Israel-Iran crisis. Mr Albanese had been expected to seek Mr Trump's ongoing support for Australia's $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, which has been subjected to a Pentagon review. Australia is contracted to buy three off-the-shelf nuclear submarines from the US before making eight of its own, with the first submarine not expected to join the Australian fleet for years. The US only has to deliver the submarines if it has enough for the US Navy's use - and American shipyards are not on track to meet domestic targets, leading to fears the deal could fall over. On Friday, the Prime Minister said his government was "making sure that Australia has the capability that we need". "We've increased it by $57 billion over the medium term and by more than $10 billion in the short term as well," he told reporters in Sydney. Foreign Minister Penny Wong is preparing to fly to the US for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of discussions between the foreign ministers of Quad alliance nations. Four more Arafura class offshore patrol vessels are under construction at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia. They boast a greater range of 4000 nautical miles and can perform roles that previously required numerous vessels, with improved living quarters and amenities to better support personnel. The procurement of the new fleet responds to recommendations of the Independent Analysis into Navy's Surface Combatant Fleet. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and her defence spokesman Angus Taylor this week blasted the government for refusing to commit to higher defence spending. On Friday, Mr Taylor said boosting spending levels was not about doing what the US wanted. "This is not about being bullied," he said. "This is about doing the right thing for our great country, and that's what we want to see." NATO member countries announced this week that they had agreed to spend 5 per cent of their economic output on defence and security, after calls to do so by Mr Trump. This led to increased pressure on Washington's Indo-Pacific allies to do the same, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying countries such as Australia should follow suit. "If our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do that, I think our allies and our friends in the Asia-Pacific region can do it as well," she said. NATO nations will be expected to spend 3.5 per cent of their gross domestic product on core defence and a further 1.5 per cent on broader security. Australia's defence spending is set to rise from 2 per cent of GDP now to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, with the Coalition calling for a 3 per cent target within 10 years. With AAP With a cloud hanging over the AUKUS submarine deal and the Opposition attacking the government for refusing to bow to United States pressure to lift Defence spending, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles is preparing to celebrate a win. The Albanese government's plan for a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet for the Royal Australian Navy will hit a milestone on Saturday with the addition of the HMAS Arafura. Built by German shipbuilder Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Shipyard in South Australia, the vessel entered Fremantle this week ahead of a commissioning ceremony on Saturday, following testing and evaluation by Defence. Mr Marles said the commissioning of HMAS Arafura "marks an important milestone" and meant the Navy could "continue to ensure the safety and security of our maritime borders". "We will continue to see the Navy introduce new vessels into its fleet," he said. It is the first Arafura class offshore patrol vessel of the Navy's surface fleet, with a second - NUSHIP Eyre - having been built and awaiting acceptance by the Navy. On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese resisted pressure to commit a higher proportion of GDP to defence spending, as the US insisted its allies increase their share. The Opposition heaped criticism on Mr Albanese this week over defence spending and the Prime Minister's inability, to date, to secure a make-up meeting or phone call with United States President Donald Trump, who cancelled a face-to-face last week as he left the G7 Leaders' Summit early to deal with the Israel-Iran crisis. Mr Albanese had been expected to seek Mr Trump's ongoing support for Australia's $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, which has been subjected to a Pentagon review. Australia is contracted to buy three off-the-shelf nuclear submarines from the US before making eight of its own, with the first submarine not expected to join the Australian fleet for years. The US only has to deliver the submarines if it has enough for the US Navy's use - and American shipyards are not on track to meet domestic targets, leading to fears the deal could fall over. On Friday, the Prime Minister said his government was "making sure that Australia has the capability that we need". "We've increased it by $57 billion over the medium term and by more than $10 billion in the short term as well," he told reporters in Sydney. Foreign Minister Penny Wong is preparing to fly to the US for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of discussions between the foreign ministers of Quad alliance nations. Four more Arafura class offshore patrol vessels are under construction at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia. They boast a greater range of 4000 nautical miles and can perform roles that previously required numerous vessels, with improved living quarters and amenities to better support personnel. The procurement of the new fleet responds to recommendations of the Independent Analysis into Navy's Surface Combatant Fleet. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and her defence spokesman Angus Taylor this week blasted the government for refusing to commit to higher defence spending. On Friday, Mr Taylor said boosting spending levels was not about doing what the US wanted. "This is not about being bullied," he said. "This is about doing the right thing for our great country, and that's what we want to see." NATO member countries announced this week that they had agreed to spend 5 per cent of their economic output on defence and security, after calls to do so by Mr Trump. This led to increased pressure on Washington's Indo-Pacific allies to do the same, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying countries such as Australia should follow suit. "If our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do that, I think our allies and our friends in the Asia-Pacific region can do it as well," she said. NATO nations will be expected to spend 3.5 per cent of their gross domestic product on core defence and a further 1.5 per cent on broader security. Australia's defence spending is set to rise from 2 per cent of GDP now to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, with the Coalition calling for a 3 per cent target within 10 years. With AAP
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Australia stands firm against Trump's defence spend demands
Australia stands firm against Trump's defence spend demands Published 26 June 2025, 9:30 am While Australia has been under pressure from the United States to spend more on the military, Defence Minister Richard Marles says NATO's move does not reflect Australia's own needs. Speaking at the summit he announced further support for NATO's operations assisting Ukraine, and a new round of sanctions against Russia.
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Australia remains firm on defence spending targets despite US pressure
NATO countries have fallen in line with a request from the United States to increase defence spending. It's a request Australia is familiar with, having been delivered earlier this year by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to Defence Minister Richard Marles. But Mr Marles rebuffed the request then, and says events at the NATO conference in the Netherlands haven't changed the government's mind. He says this government has already lifted defence spending sufficiently. "Obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO. We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. And what that has seen is the biggest peace time increase in Australian defence spending that we have seen in our history. Now, that is a story which is understood here." The increase Mr Marles is speaking of involves Australia lifting its defence spending from two per cent of gross domestic product to 2.3 per cent by the 2033-2034 financial year. The US has requested that commitment be lifted to 3.5 per cent. Some experts in Australia are calling for a lift to three per cent. The opposition's defence spokesman, Angus Taylor, hasn't named a number, but says defence spending is still insufficient under this government. "Well, there's a lot of areas in the Defence Strategic Review that are clearly underfunded. Our drone and counter-drone technologies, as the Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, laid out yesterday. Making sure that the Henderson sub facility is properly-funded. The hardening of our northern facilities at a time like this incredibly important. Making sure we've got domestic missile manufacturing capability, as the government said they will do, but there's no sign of making progress on this. All of these are areas that have to be properly funded, alongside AUKUS- the submarines- and frigates. There is no shortage of things that need to be properly executed and properly funded, and they are not being right now under this government." Matthew Sussex is from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra. He says the events at the conference in The Hague will put further pressure on the government's stance-with one caveat. "This also does increase the pressure on Australia to increase its defence spending. Whether it does or not is something, I think, is still a bit of an open question. And certainly I think there's no harm in waiting until what the American review into the AUKUS program actually says-the 30-day review that is due to report soon." Elsewhere at the NATO meeting, US President Donald Trump didn't show up to a joint meeting of Indo-Pacific partners who were present. Mr Marles says that didn't affect the quality of that meeting. "No, it was a really important meeting with the Secretary-General. And we re-affirmed in the meeting how important the two theatres are to each other. The point is made is that in Japan, in Korea, and in New Zealand, we have three countries which are deeply important in terms of Australia's strategic interests. In respect of all of them, we are really at a high point of our bilateral relationship, and we are working increasingly as a team. But we all see how significantly what is playing out in Europe is influencing the Indo-Pacific." But Mr Trump not showing up does play into the narrative that the government can't get a meeting with Mr Trump, especially after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's meeting with him on the side of the G-7 conference in Canada was cancelled. More than five months into Mr Trump's second term as U-S President, no Australian minister has yet met with him face-to-face. Whether that hurts the government on a domestic political level is a matter in and of itself, but it's something the opposition is nevertheless keen to exploit. Mr Taylor says an Australian Prime Minister must invest time in building a personal rapport with whoever the President of the US happens to be at any given time. "Right now it seems that the Prime Minister is better able to get a meeting with the President of China than the President of the United States. The United States has fought with us in every major war, and that alliance is incredibly important to this country, regardless of who is leading the United States. That alliance really matters. The Prime Minister needs to get serious about the personal relationship that is necessary to nurture that alliance." There were some things proposed at the NATO meeting that Australia has agreed to. Australia will deploy a surveillance aircraft and 100 defence personnel to Poland for three months, ending in November, in order to provide visibility for key supply routes into Ukraine. On that front, the government has also slapped sanctions on a further 37 individuals and seven financial entities linked to key Russian industries, as well as it what it calls promulgators of Russian propaganda. And, Mr Marles has signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, which will increase co-operation in non-combat activities, including logistics, and capability acquisition.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘What a waste': Peta Credlin slams Albanese's NATO decision
Sky News host Peta Credlin slams the Albanese government's decision to send Richard Marles and his entourage to the NATO summit. 'What a waste of $100,000 or so it would have cost taxpayers to send Richard Marles and his entourage to the NATO summit this week,' Ms Credlin said. 'And for Marles then to miss out not just on a meeting with the US President, but also his own counterpart, the US Defence Secretary. 'And just in case Marles misread the snub, his place in the NATO family photograph made it all crystal clear. 'Not just to us in Australia but every other government in the world who knows how to read these sort of diplomatic displays.'
