Defence White Paper

Senator the Hon David Johnston
Shadow Minister for Defence

A Defence White Paper without a detailed plan on how new capabilities and technologies are going to be paid for is not a defence plan at all, Shadow Defence Minister David Johnston said today.

Senator Johnston said it was difficult to provide enthusiastic support for a long term defence strategy for the nation that was based on virtually no costings across the forward estimates, particularly when the Government is running the biggest deficit this country has ever seen.

“To that extent this document is quite dangerous,” Senator Johnston said.

“I am very disappointed that the Rudd Government could delay time and time again a document to outline Australia’s defence strategy for the next 20 years, and when it is finally released, a 144 page paper features only one and a half pages of the most vaguest funding detail,” Senator Johnston said.

The Opposition is a strong supporter of the Australian Defence Force and national security and commenced the detailed modernisation of the defence forces whilst in Government.

“Typically there is one tiny paragraph directed towards the remuneration of our service men and women, and that is extremely disappointing because recruitment is in fact the foundation block on which all of this is built.”

Senator Johnston said recruitment was a huge problem for the ADF and the navy is only currently able to crew two of its six submarines, with crew levels at 37 per cent capacity.

Senator Johnston also questioned the emphasis on the perceived threat in the rise of China’s military strength while relegating near-failed States such as Pakistan, who possess nuclear capability, to a passing reference in one paragraph.

“It is of great significance that the U.S administration now speaks of Pakistan/Afghanistan as a joint threat – it is a country that is emerging as the new battle front dominated by non-conventional forces yet it hardly raises a mention,” Senator Johnston said.

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