Australia news live: Labor vows to support working from home as Coalition touts public servants cuts; investigation into man's death after falling into silo
23:54
Greens announce plan to divert $4bn defence spending to domestic, 'defensive' missiles
The Greens have unveiled announced a plan to divert billions of defence spending on American technology to the domestic production of 'defensive' missiles and vehicles.
The party has outlined $4bn in savings to fund its plan, arguing the Australian Defence Force is designed to 'work interoperably with the US military, not to defend Australia'.
Its defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said the party would seek to cancel Australia's $368bn Aukus submarine deal with the United States and United Kingdom – which the party has long been opposed to. It would also stop the $2.4bn acquisition of M1A2 Abrams tanks and Black Hawk helicopters from the US.
They are both supplied by the US with little to no sovereign input, are expensive and outdated. Like Aukus, this equipment is much more about signalling our loyalty to the US than defending Australia.
Under the Greens' plan, the billions in funds would instead go towards manufacturing 'capabilities of uncrewed naval and aerial vehicles as well as medium-range and intermediate-range missiles, for strictly defensive purposes only,' a statement said.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, insisted Aukus' future was safe in February after president Donald Trump appeared not to know what it meant. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, also backed Aukus this week, saying the need for the agreement was greater than ever.
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