Abstract
AS I sat behind the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Chief of the Defence Force at yesterday's launch of Defence Update 2005 in Sydney, I couldn't help reflecting on how extraordinarily supportive of defence policy the Howard Government has been. As he spoke, John Howard acknowledged that his Government's updated defence policy was not without costs. But he went on to commit increasing amounts of money to Defence. So, what's new in this latest announcement by Senator Robert Hill? Defence Update 2005 is certainly a great improvement on its predecessor in 2003. This new statement of Australia's defence circumstances is the most comprehensive we've seen since the 2000 Defence white paper. It provides a detailed description of our strategic environment and our defence activities around the world. Unlike its predecessor, it has a chapter on military capability and resources.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 1pp |
| No. | 16 December 2005 |
| Specialist publication | The Australian |
| Publication status | Published - 2005 |