Albanese faces US pressure to boost defence spending
The co-author of a strategic review into Australia's defence capability says the Federal Government risks angering Donald Trump if it doesn't convince the US it's doing enough to lift the defence budget.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing pressure to boost defence spending as he prepares to head to the G7 Summit after the Trump administration insisted Australia increase its spending to 3.5 per cent of its gross domestic product.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
41 minutes ago
- ABC News
Queensland government to begin social housing rent reviews to free up spaces for those in 'most need'
Social housing recipients in Queensland earning more than they should will soon be evicted from their homes to make way for new tenants. The state government claims there are some recipients earning well above the income limit that determines who is eligible for social housing. This includes a couple in Brisbane taking home more than $200,000 a year while paying less than $200 a week to live in their social housing unit. The government says another family in Townsville is paying less than $190 per week in rent despite earning an annual income of more than $160,000. From July 1, the government will launch annual rent reviews to determine if social housing recipients are still within the income limit. In Queensland, the income limit for a single person with no children is $609 per week, while for a couple it is set at $755. Tenants pay 25 per cent of their income. Those who are found to earn more than the limit will be charged at market rental rates, before they are evicted and transitioned to other housing options. Tenants who are within the housing limit but not paying 25 per cent of their income will have their rent increased, but the increase will be capped at $15 per week. Housing Minister Sam O'Connor said the government wants to make social housing available for vulnerable people and families. "We're empowering our housing officers to do what they do best — support the Queenslanders who most need a roof over their heads," he said. "These are long overdue changes to fix the system so it's better targeted to help the people who need housing most." In a bid to free up properties that are underoccupied, the government will also introduce a scheme to incentivise tenants to downsize to smaller social homes. The government hopes this will allow more families to move into social housing. The incentives will include rent free periods, as well covering the costs of removalists. The government estimates thousands of bedrooms in the state's social housing stock are vacant. About 50,000 people were on Queensland's social housing register as of December last year.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Majority of Australians back boost to defence spending amid US pressure and security concerns
The majority of voters support lifting Australia's military budget, as former PM Scott Morrison and US officials push for a sharp increase in defence investment ahead of Anthony Albanese's expected meeting with Donald Trump. The majority of Australians support an increase to the nation's military budget, amid demands from the United States for allies to lift defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP. According to new analysis from News Corp's Lighthouse Consumer Sentiment Tracker, 57 per cent of voters said military spending should increase beyond its current level. Eight per cent of people supported spending cuts and 35 per cent believed the status quo was sufficient. The majority of respondents (39 per cent) also indicated a willingness to fund increased defence spending through higher taxes on high income earns and corporations. Thirty-seven per cent were willing to fund spending through efficiency savings within government departments and 28 per cent through cuts to foreign aid or partnerships. The data was based on a representative sample of nearly 5,000 respondents collected between April 1 and May 31. The survey comes as pressure mounts from the United States for Australia to spend at least 3 per cent of GDP on defence. The Albanese government has currently invested about 2 per cent of GDP, rising to 2.3 per cent by 2033. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently called on Australia to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. The appeal was made during a public meeting alongside Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not ruled out further spending, but maintains additional investment must be aligned with specific needs—not 'arbitrary targets'. However, Defence Chief Admiral David Johnston told a defence summit on Wednesday that his department would likely ask for a funding boost in the next biennial review. 'The opportunity we have with the biennial cycle now is to keep coming back and reviewing the strategy,' he said. 'Looking at the opportunities or where the investments are required, putting the case to government to increase the defence expenditure where we believe it is needed.' Admiral Johnston also expressed concern about the possibility of Australia waging war in the future on home soil, rather than overseas. However, inside the government there has been a belief that they do not expect a direct military invasion of Australia by China. Rather, insiders view strategic assets like submarines and long-range missiles as tools to protect critical trade routes, not to repel a land invasion. — ASPI (@ASPI_org) May 28, 2025 The defence issue is set to feature prominently at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada between June 15 and 17, where Mr Albanese is expected to meet President Trump. Former prime minister Scott Morrison has added his voice to calls for more robust military investment, reiterating the Coalition's support for a 3 per cent of GDP target. 'I'm on the record for some time now of supporting a 3 per cent target and that target obviously has to be filled out with the right capabilities,' Mr Morrison said. 'This is a common requirement that has been put forward across all Allies and partners, not just Australia. 'The significant change we're seeing in the security environment necessitates such a response.' The independent defence and strategic policy think tank, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, recently called on the Albanese government to spend more. ASPI Executive Director Justin Bassi told Sky News that the public deserves transparency on the country's strategic vulnerabilities. 'Unfortunately, the world has these threats that do impact Australia and to counter these threats we need to, unfortunately, spend more money in the area,' he said. Mr Albanese publicly dismissed the think tank's recent report warning of a 'hollow' Australian Defence Force, calling ASPI's criticisms 'predictable'. The Lighthouse Tracker data also revealed strong generational and political divides. Seventy per cent of baby boomers support more defence spending, compared with 49 per cent of millennials and 47 per cent of Gen Z. Coalition and One Nation voters were most supportive (69 per cent), while only 40 per cent of Greens voters backed increased funding. Labor voters were more evenly split, with 52 per cent in favour. Among potential funding sources, Coalition voters preferred cuts to climate programs (38 per cent), foreign aid (36 per cent), and the arts (30 per cent). Labor and Greens voters favoured progressive tax reform, with 45 per cent calling for higher taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations. Only 4 per cent of respondents were willing to consider diverting funds from Medicare, or 10 per cent from cuts to welfare or the NDIS.
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
WA news LIVE: Man charged with murder over stabbing in Perth's east; Perth is now the second most expensive city to rent in Australia
Latest posts Latest posts 9.31am Man charged with murder over stabbing in Perth's east To crime news first up this morning and WA Police have charged a 19-year-old man with murder, after an 18-year-old was stabbed in Rivervale on Saturday evening. Around 5.10pm, emergency services were called to a home on Gladstone Road where they found the man with stab wounds. He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital in an ambulance but later died from his injuries. The 19-year-old from Swan View, who is known to the victim, was charged this morning with the other man's murder. He is due to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court today. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at 9.31am Across the nation and around the world Here's what's making headlines across the nation and around the world today: Tear gas has been fired at protesters in Los Angeles after they moved close to National Guard troops and shouted insults at them, hours after President Donald Trump sent the military into Los Angeles over the objections of the state governor and city mayor. A conservative Colombian senator who hoped to be the country's next president is fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot in the back at a campaign rally, authorities say. Former prime minister Scott Morrison, the nation's most successful winner of Academy Awards and a scientist who rivals Charles Darwin for the number of animals bearing his name are among 830 Australians recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list. A 30-year-old US tech entrepreneur born to immigrant parents has unseated Taylor Swift as the world's youngest self-made female billionaire. Israel's government has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip. 9.31am Today's weather 9.31am This morning in Perth Good morning, and welcome to the first live blog of the week. Today, Reporter Emma Young writes that an ASX-listed company has sold stricken petroleum wells in the Kimberley for a fraction of their original value, as the state belatedly tries to crack down on the company's regulatory breaches. On top of that, they are pressing to explore further, with no plan to decommission and rehabilitate its original infrastructure. A massive surge in rental costs over the last six years has resulted in Perth becoming the second-most expensive capital in Australia for tenants. New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics places WA second only to New South Wales in terms of median weekly rent. The state has also had a bigger jump in rental prices of any state in the country. Find out exactly how much the median rent is here. But Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has admitted the link was over budget – along with 'all of our projects'.
