Australia to lift defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2033, expert raises concerns over accounting method

Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles has sparked a major debate with the 2026 National Defence Strategy, setting an ambitious target to lift defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP. The government calls it a historic investment in national security, but the opposition accuses Labor of “artificially inflating” the figures. So the real question is: is Australia actually becoming more secure or just making its defence budget sound bigger on paper? Let’s break down what’s really happening behind the headlines with international affairs expert Dalbir Ahlawat.

Defence Minister Richard Marles (left), Senior lecturer in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, Dalbir Ahlawat (right). Credit: suppled

(Disclaimer: The views/opinions expressed in this interview are the personal views of the individual. SBS neither agrees nor disagrees with them.)

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