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Defence Funding and Planning:
Promises and Secrets
Author: Mark Thomson
Volume 5, Number 2 (Winter 2009), pp. 89-96.
Abstract
In terms of defence funding and capability planning, the new Defence White Paper is a peculiar mix of clarity and concealment. While it paints a relatively detailed picture of what the government says the defence force will look like in 2030, it says very little about what will happen between now and then. Similarly, although a funding commitment stretching twenty-one years into the future is offered; actual budget figures have only been disclosed for the next four years. Neither commercial nor national security considerations explain this pattern of near-term secrecy and long-term openness. Instead, it appears that the government wants to take credit for being strong on defence, while deliberately not setting any targets against which progress can be measured and also retaining the option of further reducing defence spending in the medium-term, dependent on economic circumstances.
About the Author
Mark Thomson is the Program Director for Budget and Management at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. markthomson@aspi.org.au.
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