Good Things Don’t Always Come to Those Who Wait

If high-sounding rhetoric could deter our adversaries, then the Albanese government’s new defence budget was a resounding success.

A M1A1 Abrams main battle tank fires during Exercise Chong Ju at the Puckapunyal Military Area in Seymour, Australia on May 9, 2019. Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Commentary

If high-sounding rhetoric and promises of significant expenditure in a decade are enough to boost Australia’s defences and deter our adversaries, the latest announcement by the Albanese government might be judged favourably.