Fed: Govt begins hardsell of its defence package

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2000
Fed: Govt begins hardsell of its defence package

CANBERRA, Dec 7 AAP - The government begins its hard sell of a proposed $23 billion
spending splurge on defence today.

First up will be a forum of Indonesian ministers who fly into Canberra today with the
ink on the defence white paper barely dry.

Already Indonesian officials have been briefed about the paper which sets out plans
for an extra 3,000 troops, new warships and aircraft.

The Labor Party has backed the plan which was the result of six months of public discussions
and two years of planning.

Prime Minister John Howard said the white paper gave Australian defence chiefs the
chance to plan well into the future.

He said it ensured Australia could properly defend itself while rising to any challenges
in the region.

"The government's purpose is to provide Australia with the defence capability it will
need over the first few decades of this new century," he said.

The white paper commits $1.5 billion in extra funding for the next two years, plus
a three per cent year-on-year increase for the rest of the decade.

With that, the government is expecting: four early warning aircraft, upgrades to the
six Collins class submarines, new patrol boats and a new supply ship, three new destroyers
and armed reconnaissance helicopters while giving a commitment for replacements to the
F-111 and F/A-18 fighter planes.

Defence Minister John Moore said the plan reflected the need for Australia to be able
to respond to regional instability and demands such as the peacekeeping force in East
Timor.

"We made a judgment that what was surrounding us was a regional sea of instability,"

Mr Moore told reporters.

AAP sw/gmw/de n

KEYWORD: DEFENCE DAYLEAD

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