Kevin Rudd has declared there are 'major gaps' in Australia's new defence strategy, accusing the Coalition government of a 'botched' submarine program.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has declared there are "major gaps" in Australia's new defence strategy, accusing the Coalition government of a "botched" submarine program and failing to build up the nation's cyber defences fast enough.
Mr Rudd's predecessor, John Howard, welcomed the Morrison government's major update to its defence strategy, saying China under President Xi Jinping was now a much more assertive and authoritarian power than when he was prime minister. Mr Howard said the Morrison government's defence build-up was part of a deterrence strategy to encourage Beijing to reverse course.
When the Coalition entered government in 2013, the delivery date for the new submarines was set for the early 2020s but it has been pushed out to the 2030s, highlighting the need to upgrade the existing Collins class of boats to avoid a capability gap. Mr Rudd said the Pacific step-up was "the second scandal" as the government was only now "attempting to restore Australia's real aid level to the Pacific to where it was in 2013".
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