Experts sound the alarm about the huge threat to Australia - and why Albanese needs to do something before it's too late

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

Australia must urgently boost its defence funding otherwise it risks being stranded in 'no-man's-land' with a 'paper IDF', a prominent thinktank has warned.
A report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute praised the Labor government's commitment to long-term defence projects, such as the AUKUS submarine deal, but warned it was not doing nearly enough in the immediate future.
'That slow pace risks leaving the ADF ill-prepared for current threats and unable to keep pace with future challenges, creating a "no-man's-land" of preparedness,' the report's author, former Home Affairs deputy secretary, Marc Ablong wrote.
'The timelines for major acquisitions, especially the nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership, extend well into the next decade and beyond.
'While those future capabilities are strategically important, they offer little immediate enhancement, thus creating a "paper ADF" that lacks readiness for near-term conflict scenarios.'
The report, published on Thursday, argued that the March budget was an 'opportunity lost' to increase defence spending.
Mr Ablong called for 'defence funding to be increased to reflect the reality of the threats facing Australia'.
'While the Australian Government claims to have made a "generational investment in Australia's Defence", that investment has been put off for another generation,' he wrote.
He pointed out that the majority of the billions promised by Labor would not arrive until after 2029.
'While consistency can often be a virtue, it reveals a business-as-usual approach to a world now in crisis and conflict,' Mr Ablong added.
'The rhetoric recognising the threats isn't translating into action to deal with the threats, meaning the government continues to deprioritise the readiness and sustainability of the current force-in-being, with the largest spending increases on capability sustainment tied to the F-35 Lightning force ($190 million) and Collins-class submarines ($235 million).'
Mr Ablong further warned that Australia risked falling behind other major players, such as China, in the Indo-Pacific.
'Australia risks a brittle and hollowed defence force, diminished industrial sovereignty, and compromised national security in a volatile Indo-Pacific region,' he added.
The criticisms were rejected by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who slammed the 'predictable' report, claiming ASPI was 'run by people who've been in a position to make a difference in the past as part of former governments'.
'I think they need to have a look at themselves as well and the way that they conduct themselves in debates,' Albanese said on Thursday morning.
'We've had a Defence Strategic Review. We've got considerable additional investment going into defence – $10 billion.'
There is growing tension in the Indo-Pacific region.