Claire Clutterham (Sturt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. How is Australia engaging with other countries in relation to the Strait of Hormuz? How will last night's budget improve capability for the Australian Defence Force, and how does this compare to other approaches?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and acknowledge her extensive experience in Australia's defence industry. Last night, along with 40 defence ministers from around the world, I participated in a meeting of the multinational military mission in respect of the Strait of Hormuz, and we were all resolute that the Strait of Hormuz be open and that freedom of navigation apply. When conditions allow, a defensive military mission will underpin this. Australia has made a commitment to this mission—indeed, we've committed an E-7 Wedgetail—and we will have further talks with the UK, with France and with our other partners about how else we can contribute.

The conflict in the Middle East has highlighted the volatile nature of the world in which we live, the acute pressure which is being placed upon the global rules based order and the impact on Australia, our region and the world of disrupted sea lines of communication. Looking forward, this is really our most consequential strategic risk—that a future adversary would seek to coerce Australia by disrupting those sea lines. So, in last night's budget, we had a significant increase to defence spending: $14½ billion over the forward estimates and $53 billion over the decade. So, since coming to government, we have increased defence spending over the next four years by $30 billion, relative to what we inherited, and $117 billion over the decade.

To try and put that in some kind of context, during the entire period of the former coalition government, they increased defence spending by just $10 billion over the planning decade, which is to say that, in the last four years, we have done 12 times as much in respect to increasing defence spending as what the Liberals did in their entire nine years in office. They were very big about awarding the defence ministry as a trophy to those on the frontbench. Six different people won that prize, and, since going into opposition, another three have won the prize, including the Leader of the Opposition. But, while they've been completely focused on the defence trophy, they have utterly ignored defence policy and, with that, the nation.

Now, the Albanese government is changing all of that. Since 2023, we have increased defence spending each and every year. What we did last night was the biggest step, and the result is to provide a much more capable Defence Force, which, in a challenging world, can keep Australians safe.