Former prime minister Tony Abbott accuses 'quasi-passivist' Albanese government of 'winding down' defence capability

Sky News AU

2 days ago

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has accused Labor of taking a "quasi-passivist" approach to managing the Australian Defence Force as he called for an urgent spending increase.
Australia's defence spend has been placed under scrutiny in recent days after United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Defence Minister Richard Marles the nation needed to significantly boost investment.
Despite the warning, the Albanese government has repeatedly insisted it will not alter its current plans for the ADF - which will not see Australia hit an outlay equivalent to 2.5 per cent of GDP until some time after 2033.
Speaking to Sky News Australia, Mr Abbott claimed that decision came with serious risks, including potentially jeopardising one of the nation's most important international alliances.
"We do have to spend a lot more on defence," he said.
"We are sleepwalking through lotus land to disaster as things stand. We've got to appreciate that the world is getting much more dangerous. It's becoming more dangerous by the day.
"So we in this country do need to wake up to ourselves and, frankly, if we want the American alliance to survive we have got to be a much better ally than we look right now."
Under President Donald Trump the US has stepped up calls for allied nations to lift spending on defence as high as 3.5 per cent of GDP, hinting those who fail to increase their investment could risk losing some degree of military support or cooperation.
Citing the rise of "communist China, fascist Russia and Islamist Iran", Mr Abbott argued Australia was increasingly at risk of exposure to conflict and needed to ensure it was able to be an effective partner to the US and other allies.
The former prime minister claimed, however, that Labor instead appeared set on "winding down" the ADF's ability to engage with potential adversaries.
Mr Abbott pointed to the government's response to a request for naval support in the Red Sea, with Mr Marles suggesting Australia was not in position to send a frigate to help defend shipping from Houthi militant attacks.
"We said that we don't actually have a frigate to send because they're all needed close at home. I happened to be looking out my office window that day and there were five frigates and destroyers tied up at Garden Island," he said.
"They weren't doing anything and frankly at least one of them should have been in the Red Sea."
The former prime minister added the decision was emblematic of Labor's current approach to defence, before rounding off his criticism with a warning it was weakening the ADF.
"I think there's a quasi-passivist element to this government and rather than say no to the Americans, they'd prefer to say: 'We can't'," he said.
"That's what they're doing. They are steadily winding down the actual fighting capability of our armed forces."