MEDIA STATEMENT 22 April 2026
The Albanese Government’s 2026 National Defence Strategy confirms what Australians already know: our strategic environment is deteriorating and becoming more dangerous by the day. The challenge now is not identifying the threat, but in delivering the capability to meet it.
Once again, Labor has been slow to act on defence and national security, waiting four years after a major conflict (Ukraine) and months into a major global conflict (Middle East) before recognising that Australia is in a perilous state of under-preparedness. At a time when the world is becoming more unstable, Australians expect urgency, not delay.
The Government’s focus on “national defence” and a strategy of denial reflects the reality that Australia must be able to deter threats closer to home, particularly through our northern approaches. While strengthening self-reliance and building sovereign capability are important steps, the Strategy remains largely a continuation of the previous update, failing to adequately address the unprecedented challenges and complexity of our current geopolitical environment.
The Government has pointed to an additional $14 billion over four years and $53 billion over the decade, taking total Defence investment to around $425 billion. These are big numbers, but Australians expect outcomes, not announcements. Under traditional Australian measurement, defence spending currently sits at just 2.02 per cent of GDP, a figure that experts and independent analysis confirm falls well short of what our strategic circumstances demand. The Coalition has been clear for some time that defence spending must increase to 3 per cent of GDP to meet the challenges we face, yet Labor continues to fall well short of that ambition, with spending not projected to reach even 2.33 per cent of GDP until 2034.
As highlighted by defence experts, the Government has also used “accounting trickery” by switching to NATO-style accounting and reclassifying costs previously outside the normal defence budget, making the investment appear larger than it actually is. The strategic environment we face demands urgent attention, yet once again Labor is resorting to cosmetic measures rather than treating defence with the seriousness it deserves.
We are already seeing how warfare is changing. Lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East show the growing importance of drones, autonomous systems and integrated strike capability. Yesterday’s announcement of up to $7 billion in counter-drone investment, including new Australian-made systems, is a welcome step in recognising a reality that should have been responded to long ago. However, yesterday’s announcement identified just over $30 million in local defence industry investment compared with the claimed $22 billion in new funding. That represents around 0.14%, barely a fraction of the total, and totally inadequate. It’s a slap in the face for local defence contractors.
But once again, the question is capability. Announcements are easy, delivery is hard. These investments must be accelerated and deployed at scale and speed, because capability delayed is capability denied. Australia is drastically behind when it comes to autonomous systems, and the Government must now provide clear details on how it plans to urgently address this capability gap.
The real test now is whether this plan delivers capability at speed. We cannot afford to build a Defence Force for the 2030s while risks are emerging right now, and there is a growing concern that Australia risks being left with a “paper ADF*” if delivery continues to lag behind ambition.
While a Defence strategy is necessary, it cannot replace a comprehensive national security strategy, which is what I have consistently called for, building on the work of the late Senator and Major General Jim Molan. Labor still isn’t willing to match that ambition or deliver the coordinated, whole-of-nation approach needed to properly secure our future.
At the same time, the recent appointment of Vice Admiral Mark Hammond as Chief of the Defence Force, alongside Lieutenant General Susan Coyle as Chief of Army and Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley as Chief of Navy, comes at a critical moment. These are experienced leaders stepping into key roles, but they must be backed by a government willing to cut through bureaucracy and deliver the tools and personnel they need to do the job of defending our nation.
National defence is about action on the ground and preparedness across the entire nation. The Strategy recognises the need for stronger industrial capacity, resilient supply chains and civil preparedness, but these must move beyond policy documents into real-world delivery. If the supply chain shocks during COVID and now from the war in the Middle East have taught us anything, it is that the country as a whole must be capable of mobilisation. This can only be achieved through a comprehensive national security strategy.
More than 103,000 Australians have died in service of our nation under the Australian flag. We owe it to them, and to those who serve today and our future generations, to take national security seriously and ensure our Defence Force is equipped, ready and able to respond when it matters most.
Australia cannot afford complacency. We need a Defence strategy that delivers capability now, underpinned by a comprehensive national security strategy that brings the full weight of our nation’s resources, intellect and resolve together. Only a Coalition Government will restore that focus and ensure Australians are safe, secure and prepared for the challenges ahead.
[ENDS]
Media Contact: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
*Report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute – ASPI Report (Cost of Defence 2025-26 | June 2025)