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The voters are heading to polling stations with just days to go before the 3 May federal election. However, national security and defence have remained notably absent from the spotlight.
In light of this, Defence Connect asked each of our team members what they hope to see from the next Australian government in terms of defence policy and priorities.
So far, the campaign trail has been dominated by key issues such as housing affordability, cost-of-living pressures and energy policy. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking a second term for Labor, while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is leading the Coalition’s bid to return to power after just one term in opposition – a rarity in Australian political history.
Housing is a central issue, especially for younger voters. Labor has pledged a AU$10 billion investment to deliver 100,000 new homes over eight years, with support for first home buyers through a 5 per cent deposit scheme. The Coalition has countered with proposals to reduce demand, including a temporary ban on foreign buyers, lower migration levels, mortgage interest tax deductions for new builds, and a flagship policy allowing young Australians to withdraw up to AU$50,000 from their superannuation to boost their first home deposit.
Elements of Dutton’s campaign have drawn comparisons to that of former US President Donald Trump, particularly in its focus on crime, immigration and cutting public sector expenditure. Critics warn that this populist strategy could alienate centrist voters.
As early voting began on 22 April, Australians are presented with two competing visions for the country – both largely focused on affordability, while national security remains a secondary concern. This is particularly alarming for defence and security professionals, given recent developments such as Russia’s engagement with Indonesia and a surge in Chinese coercion tactics aimed at Australia.
With that in mind, we go again to the team, continuing with Defence Connect’s defence and aerospace senior journalist Robert Dougherty for his top three priorities/wish list items for the next government.
1. Increase defence spending (desperately needed).
Let’s get the biggest priority out of the way first – increasing defence spend per gross domestic product to 3 per cent or higher.
The arguments for increasing defence spending to a more realistic rate have been discussed ad nauseam. At every defence industry conference, debate and trade show, you can hear the calls to fund new acquisitions and development at a more appropriate level.
National Security College - Australian National University expert associate and former Royal Australian Navy officer Jennifer Parker put it in stark perspective best during an ABC Insiders appearance on 26 April.
“I guess the question for the government is can defence currently deal with the threats that it is facing? And I honestly do not know anyone in defence that would say yes,” she said.
“So, then there’s a problem of how do you address that, now that’s not all just money it can be acquisition processes, it can be structures … But a lot of it is money.
“You don’t cut your mine warfare ship program from your integrated investment program for a country like Australia because you don’t think we need mine warfare ships. You cut it because you don’t have enough money.
“You don’t cut your replenishment ship program for a country like Australia island nation, right, because you think we don’t need them. You cut it because you don’t have enough money.
“So, I think whoever is in government is going to have to deal with this and quickly.”
Both sides of the Australian political aisle have stated that the world is entering a dangerous and more military-led phase, yet they have also both done little to lift defence spending.
Anthony Albanese’s federal government has previously announced that an additional $50.3 billion would be funded into the Australian Defence Force over the next decade, with an additional $10.6 billion invested over the forward estimates. The per cent defence spends roughly equates to a diminutive 2.1 per cent and will rise to 2.3 per cent into the 2030s – falling far short of NATO’s new minimum bar of 3 per cent and crucially, the new United States administration’s ally defence spending expectations.
Further strengthening the argument to lift defence spending is the now-widely adopted “Davidson Window”. The window, expressed by former INDOPACOM commander Admiral Phil Davidson in 2021, identifies 2027 as a possible date in which the People’s Republic of China military branches will be ready and able to complete invasion preparations against Taiwan.
If we are advised that there could be at best increased military operations around Taiwan and at worst all-out war between China and the United States over the island nation in 2027, can we really afford to kick the defence funding can back down the road until 2030 or 2040?
2. Australian Defence Force recruitment and public-facing policy overhaul.
It’s no secret that the Australian Defence Force has been facing some serious, possibly worsening recruitment challenges for an extended period of time.
We already know that the ADF was 4,308 people (almost 7 per cent) below its authorised strength in 2023 and the Defence Strategic Review identified recruitment as a reoccurring issue. We also know that no one wants to be involved in a military recruitment process that allows a reported wait time of 300 days.
However, all is not lost and an incoming or re-elected government can push the big levers to make meaningful change.
That change is bringing recruitment back in-house. After all, what do we have to lose? It’s obvious that the recruitment job was outsourced to make it more efficient and, presumably, cheaper – well, now we know that definitely didn’t happen.
Both the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Defence will have to put the big boy pants on and step up to the task. Along these lines, it would also be good to see more widespread use of ADF veteran employment in the public and private schooling system, this could easily be mandated by government and incentivised under physical education, discipline or STEM education.
To further embolden the new strategy, let’s also scrap those formal ADF and cadet uniform bans in public. Military personnel have allegedly been encouraged in the past to wear civilian attire, rather than uniform in public due to previous heightened terrorism concerns. Reserve it and make an easy common-sense change that can be done this year.
3. An Australian-made rifle and armoured car behind every blade of grass.
If the Australian defence industry was a landscape, it would be a desert. There are some big players and numerous smaller yet innovative companies, but largely, everyone is struggling to survive on minuscule funding and challenging export opportunities.
Uplifting domestic defence manufacturing needs to be a major priority for any new government elected. Let’s open up the flood gates for companies to export defence equipment out of this country via foreign military sales, cut the red tape and make it as streamlined as possible.
The old adage that “Australia passes the buck on funding its own companies and then buys those defence products right back through the US Department of Defense” is a national joke.
For this last point, I take a reference from American entrepreneur and Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey, who spoke recently with the former US Navy Seal and US Central Intelligence Agency contractor Shawn Ryan.
“We need to become the world’s gun store. We need to just sell them the guns that they need to defend themselves. And we need to make sure that we actually keep those shelves stocked,” he said.
“We have to get back to where things are actually manufacturable. As a country, we’ve slipped into this problem where we build so few arms that we build really expensive, really exquisite things that take years to complete.
“We need to get back into more of a World War II mentality where we can build weapons faster than we can use them.
“Look at what we did when we transformed this country during World War II. We went from basically being a mercantilist, quasi agrarian society to being the world’s most powerful manufacturing hub in like a year and a half, two years. Are you really telling me we couldn’t do it again if it wasn’t a priority? I just don’t believe it.
“It’s easier than ever to set up a factory … It is easier than ever to set up advanced manufacturing. It’s just a matter of will.”
The theory stands on its own, despite the fact that Luckey is referring to domestic manufacturing in the United States of America, and not Australia.
Cut the government red tape, stump up some cash and allow our innovative defence industry to flourish.
