Australia’s Coalition Unveils $21 Billion Defence Boost Ahead of 2025 Federal Election

Sydney, The Gulf Observer: With just ten days remaining until Australians cast their votes in the 2025 Federal Election, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has unveiled a sweeping defence policy, pledging an additional $21 billion to bolster Australia’s military capabilities.

The announcement came hours after Dutton faced off against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Nine’s “The Great Debate,” and marks one of the most significant policy moves of the Coalition’s campaign. Under the proposal, defence spending would rise to 2.5 per cent of Australia’s GDP by 2030, with a further target of 3 per cent within the next decade — aligning with commitments made by former U.S. President Donald Trump for American defence spending.

The funding package is expected to cost the federal budget between $25 and $30 billion annually, and would be allocated to critical areas such as military recruitment, procurement of additional F-35 fighter jets, and the finalisation of the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine agreement.

“The prime minister and the deputy prime minister regularly tell Australians that we live in the most precarious period since the end of the Second World War,” Dutton said in a statement on Monday. “Yet, over the last three years, Labor has done nothing about it, other than rip money out of defence, weakening strength and morale.”

The Coalition’s defence commitment would exceed Labor’s current plan, which aims to grow defence spending to $100 billion annually by 2034, equivalent to 2.33 per cent of GDP. Dutton’s proposal was supported by Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie, who pledged to release a full cost breakdown before election day on 3 May.

“There will always be trade-offs when you’re making decisions of state,” Hastie told ABC Radio National. “But what price do we put on defence? With the rise of authoritarian powers, the war in Ukraine, instability in the Indo-Pacific, and shifts in U.S. foreign policy, we must be ready to defend ourselves.”

The announcement followed a campaign stop in Carrum Downs, where Dutton held a crime prevention roundtable alongside Liberal candidate for Dunkley Nathan Conroy and Senator James Paterson at the Lyrebird Community Centre.

However, the proposal drew sharp criticism from Defence Minister Richard Marles, who labelled the plan a “pathetic whimper.”

“I just don’t think you can trust the Liberals when it comes to anything they say in respect of defence,” Marles said. “There’s no explanation of how they’ll fund it or clear detail on where the money will go. What we have here is not a defence policy — it’s a slogan.”

As the election nears, national security and defence policy have emerged as key battlegrounds, with both major parties offering competing visions for Australia’s role in an increasingly uncertain global environment.