'It's urgent': Angus Taylor says govt needs to fix Defence recruitment

The Advertiser

9 hours ago

Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor has blamed the Albanese government for the recruitment crisis facing Australia's armed forces, while calling out its refusal to commit to higher Defence spending.
Mr Taylor said it was "clear that the government's recruitment program and retention programs are not working at the level they need to, to get the right outcomes."
"This is absolutely urgent," he said.
"We're thousands short of the government's own goals ... it's one of the issues that is clearly being underfunded by the government."
The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan aims to grow the ADF to 69,000 by the early 2030s, but is not on track to achieve this as the number of new recruits is not keeping up with people who leave.
Mr Taylor said the solution must include funding better housing and other facilities to support ADF personnel posted in locations in Australia's north.
Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday ruled out following in European nations' footsteps after NATO members vowed to dramatically lift expenditure following pressure from United States President Donald Trump.
"We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build ... and then to resource that," Mr Marles said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands.
"What that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending."
NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to 5 per cent of GDP.
Under current settings, Australia is expected to increase its share of GDP defence spend from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033-34, while the Coalition wants it increased to 3 per cent in a decade.
Mr Taylor blasted the Albanese government, saying it had failed "fund its own plan" and that Australia's defence capabilities - from missile manufacturing to drone and counter-drone technologies - were compromised.
"Its Defence Strategic Review is not properly funded ... and that means crucial programs that are central to our sovereignty are not being funded by this government," he said.
"All of these are areas that have to be properly funded alongside AUKUS, the submarines and the frigates."
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told the National Press Club on Wednesday it was "time for Australia to step up, not step back", and that "the first step must be an increase in defence spending with a focus on key capabilities, including space, drones and missiles."
"And we need a proper strategy to arrest declining recruitment numbers in the ADF," Ms Ley said.
Mr Taylor said when asked if a 3 per cent of GDP target was hollow if Defence misspent funding: "There's a real issue about making sure our procurement processes, our command structure, is efficient and effective in the ADF."
But, he said, the Coalition wanted both higher spending and to ensure that "every dollar ... is being spent as well as possible to keep Australians safe."
Asked about fellow Coalition frontbencher and former soldier Andrew Hastie's comments call for "greater transparency" about the US military's growing presence in Australia, in the context of whether the secretive Pine Gap base was used to launch strikes against Iran, Mr Taylor said the government needed to be "very clear about what our involvement is."
As to whether it undermined Australia's sovereignty if the US was not informing the government of what jointly operated military facilities were being used for, he said while sovereignty was "consistent with strong alliances" but that "transparency between the alliance partners" was important.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to answer questions about Pine Gap on the grounds that military intelligence is classified, saying only that the bombing was "a unilateral action" by the US.
Mr Albanese has said his government will fund Defence based on what is needed, rather than by setting an arbitrary GDP percentage.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC radio on Thursday: "We make these decisions based on advice to government."
"Defence and others come to us. They say what capability they need, what the funding will be, and we provide that funding," Senator Gallagher said.
"I have no doubt we'll have more representations over future budget cycles about what Defence needs, but we also need to make sure we've got the capability to deliver."
Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor has blamed the Albanese government for the recruitment crisis facing Australia's armed forces, while calling out its refusal to commit to higher Defence spending.
Mr Taylor said it was "clear that the government's recruitment program and retention programs are not working at the level they need to, to get the right outcomes."
"This is absolutely urgent," he said.
"We're thousands short of the government's own goals ... it's one of the issues that is clearly being underfunded by the government."
The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan aims to grow the ADF to 69,000 by the early 2030s, but is not on track to achieve this as the number of new recruits is not keeping up with people who leave.
Mr Taylor said the solution must include funding better housing and other facilities to support ADF personnel posted in locations in Australia's north.
Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday ruled out following in European nations' footsteps after NATO members vowed to dramatically lift expenditure following pressure from United States President Donald Trump.
"We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build ... and then to resource that," Mr Marles said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands.
"What that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending."
NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to 5 per cent of GDP.
Under current settings, Australia is expected to increase its share of GDP defence spend from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033-34, while the Coalition wants it increased to 3 per cent in a decade.
Mr Taylor blasted the Albanese government, saying it had failed "fund its own plan" and that Australia's defence capabilities - from missile manufacturing to drone and counter-drone technologies - were compromised.
"Its Defence Strategic Review is not properly funded ... and that means crucial programs that are central to our sovereignty are not being funded by this government," he said.
"All of these are areas that have to be properly funded alongside AUKUS, the submarines and the frigates."
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told the National Press Club on Wednesday it was "time for Australia to step up, not step back", and that "the first step must be an increase in defence spending with a focus on key capabilities, including space, drones and missiles."
"And we need a proper strategy to arrest declining recruitment numbers in the ADF," Ms Ley said.
Mr Taylor said when asked if a 3 per cent of GDP target was hollow if Defence misspent funding: "There's a real issue about making sure our procurement processes, our command structure, is efficient and effective in the ADF."
But, he said, the Coalition wanted both higher spending and to ensure that "every dollar ... is being spent as well as possible to keep Australians safe."
Asked about fellow Coalition frontbencher and former soldier Andrew Hastie's comments call for "greater transparency" about the US military's growing presence in Australia, in the context of whether the secretive Pine Gap base was used to launch strikes against Iran, Mr Taylor said the government needed to be "very clear about what our involvement is."
As to whether it undermined Australia's sovereignty if the US was not informing the government of what jointly operated military facilities were being used for, he said while sovereignty was "consistent with strong alliances" but that "transparency between the alliance partners" was important.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to answer questions about Pine Gap on the grounds that military intelligence is classified, saying only that the bombing was "a unilateral action" by the US.
Mr Albanese has said his government will fund Defence based on what is needed, rather than by setting an arbitrary GDP percentage.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC radio on Thursday: "We make these decisions based on advice to government."
"Defence and others come to us. They say what capability they need, what the funding will be, and we provide that funding," Senator Gallagher said.
"I have no doubt we'll have more representations over future budget cycles about what Defence needs, but we also need to make sure we've got the capability to deliver."
Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor has blamed the Albanese government for the recruitment crisis facing Australia's armed forces, while calling out its refusal to commit to higher Defence spending.
Mr Taylor said it was "clear that the government's recruitment program and retention programs are not working at the level they need to, to get the right outcomes."
"This is absolutely urgent," he said.
"We're thousands short of the government's own goals ... it's one of the issues that is clearly being underfunded by the government."
The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan aims to grow the ADF to 69,000 by the early 2030s, but is not on track to achieve this as the number of new recruits is not keeping up with people who leave.
Mr Taylor said the solution must include funding better housing and other facilities to support ADF personnel posted in locations in Australia's north.
Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday ruled out following in European nations' footsteps after NATO members vowed to dramatically lift expenditure following pressure from United States President Donald Trump.
"We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build ... and then to resource that," Mr Marles said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands.
"What that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending."
NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to 5 per cent of GDP.
Under current settings, Australia is expected to increase its share of GDP defence spend from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033-34, while the Coalition wants it increased to 3 per cent in a decade.
Mr Taylor blasted the Albanese government, saying it had failed "fund its own plan" and that Australia's defence capabilities - from missile manufacturing to drone and counter-drone technologies - were compromised.
"Its Defence Strategic Review is not properly funded ... and that means crucial programs that are central to our sovereignty are not being funded by this government," he said.
"All of these are areas that have to be properly funded alongside AUKUS, the submarines and the frigates."
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told the National Press Club on Wednesday it was "time for Australia to step up, not step back", and that "the first step must be an increase in defence spending with a focus on key capabilities, including space, drones and missiles."
"And we need a proper strategy to arrest declining recruitment numbers in the ADF," Ms Ley said.
Mr Taylor said when asked if a 3 per cent of GDP target was hollow if Defence misspent funding: "There's a real issue about making sure our procurement processes, our command structure, is efficient and effective in the ADF."
But, he said, the Coalition wanted both higher spending and to ensure that "every dollar ... is being spent as well as possible to keep Australians safe."
Asked about fellow Coalition frontbencher and former soldier Andrew Hastie's comments call for "greater transparency" about the US military's growing presence in Australia, in the context of whether the secretive Pine Gap base was used to launch strikes against Iran, Mr Taylor said the government needed to be "very clear about what our involvement is."
As to whether it undermined Australia's sovereignty if the US was not informing the government of what jointly operated military facilities were being used for, he said while sovereignty was "consistent with strong alliances" but that "transparency between the alliance partners" was important.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to answer questions about Pine Gap on the grounds that military intelligence is classified, saying only that the bombing was "a unilateral action" by the US.
Mr Albanese has said his government will fund Defence based on what is needed, rather than by setting an arbitrary GDP percentage.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC radio on Thursday: "We make these decisions based on advice to government."
"Defence and others come to us. They say what capability they need, what the funding will be, and we provide that funding," Senator Gallagher said.
"I have no doubt we'll have more representations over future budget cycles about what Defence needs, but we also need to make sure we've got the capability to deliver."
Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor has blamed the Albanese government for the recruitment crisis facing Australia's armed forces, while calling out its refusal to commit to higher Defence spending.
Mr Taylor said it was "clear that the government's recruitment program and retention programs are not working at the level they need to, to get the right outcomes."
"This is absolutely urgent," he said.
"We're thousands short of the government's own goals ... it's one of the issues that is clearly being underfunded by the government."
The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan aims to grow the ADF to 69,000 by the early 2030s, but is not on track to achieve this as the number of new recruits is not keeping up with people who leave.
Mr Taylor said the solution must include funding better housing and other facilities to support ADF personnel posted in locations in Australia's north.
Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday ruled out following in European nations' footsteps after NATO members vowed to dramatically lift expenditure following pressure from United States President Donald Trump.
"We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build ... and then to resource that," Mr Marles said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands.
"What that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending."
NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to 5 per cent of GDP.
Under current settings, Australia is expected to increase its share of GDP defence spend from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033-34, while the Coalition wants it increased to 3 per cent in a decade.
Mr Taylor blasted the Albanese government, saying it had failed "fund its own plan" and that Australia's defence capabilities - from missile manufacturing to drone and counter-drone technologies - were compromised.
"Its Defence Strategic Review is not properly funded ... and that means crucial programs that are central to our sovereignty are not being funded by this government," he said.
"All of these are areas that have to be properly funded alongside AUKUS, the submarines and the frigates."
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told the National Press Club on Wednesday it was "time for Australia to step up, not step back", and that "the first step must be an increase in defence spending with a focus on key capabilities, including space, drones and missiles."
"And we need a proper strategy to arrest declining recruitment numbers in the ADF," Ms Ley said.
Mr Taylor said when asked if a 3 per cent of GDP target was hollow if Defence misspent funding: "There's a real issue about making sure our procurement processes, our command structure, is efficient and effective in the ADF."
But, he said, the Coalition wanted both higher spending and to ensure that "every dollar ... is being spent as well as possible to keep Australians safe."
Asked about fellow Coalition frontbencher and former soldier Andrew Hastie's comments call for "greater transparency" about the US military's growing presence in Australia, in the context of whether the secretive Pine Gap base was used to launch strikes against Iran, Mr Taylor said the government needed to be "very clear about what our involvement is."
As to whether it undermined Australia's sovereignty if the US was not informing the government of what jointly operated military facilities were being used for, he said while sovereignty was "consistent with strong alliances" but that "transparency between the alliance partners" was important.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to answer questions about Pine Gap on the grounds that military intelligence is classified, saying only that the bombing was "a unilateral action" by the US.
Mr Albanese has said his government will fund Defence based on what is needed, rather than by setting an arbitrary GDP percentage.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC radio on Thursday: "We make these decisions based on advice to government."
"Defence and others come to us. They say what capability they need, what the funding will be, and we provide that funding," Senator Gallagher said.
"I have no doubt we'll have more representations over future budget cycles about what Defence needs, but we also need to make sure we've got the capability to deliver."