Fed: Howard committed to spending more on defence

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2000
Fed: Howard committed to spending more on defence

CANBERRA, Dec 6 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard was confident a white paper due for
release today would prove the coalition's commitment to improving Australia's defence
capabilities.

Mr Howard will release the government's Defence White Paper, which is expected to
commit at least $500 million extra to defence next year, at 1100 AEDT today.

"I'm very committed to more spending on defence, this is the biggest revamp of our
defence capability in the most comprehensive white paper in decades," he told Radio 2UE.

"It will commit billions dollars of extra spending over the next decade."

Defence funding increases of about three per cent annually are also expected for the
rest of the decade.

Recent instability in the region meant Australia needed a defence capability that equipped
it to do what it needed to do in a non-threatening way, Mr Howard said.

"We certainly have a different strategic climate than we might have anticipated a few
years ago," he said.

Mr Howard believed the revamp would strike the right balance between the defence of
Australia role and action in the region.

AAP eg/mjm

KEYWORD: DEFENCE HOWARD

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