Australia ‘can defend itself’

Press, 16 October 1989, Page 6

Australia ‘can defend itself’

PA Sydney Australia can defend itself from attacks without direct military help from New Zealand, the United States or other allies, the Australian Minister of Defence, Mr Kim Beazley, says. In a speech yesterday, Mr Beazley also attacked accusations of increasing militarism by Australia — made by the New Zealand Labour Party among others — saying its military strategy was built on a defensive posture. “We have been able to develop a force “-structure capable of defending Australia without help from the armed forces of our allies,” he said. “What we seek from our allies —- in peace, and if necessary in conflict — is intelligence, technology, resupply and training.”

Mr Beazley said the equip-ment-purchase programme, which includes eight A.N.Z.A.C. frigates and FA-18 Hornet jet fighters, was in line with the Government’s policy of self-reli-ance. Critics of Australia’s military build-up under the Hawke Government have included the New Zealand Labour Party, Leftwing members of the Australian Labor Party and influential Indonesian officials.

Replying to the critics, Mr Beazley said Australia spent less on defence as a percentage of gross domestic product than comparable European nations such as Belgium or Sweden. He added that defence spending had grown only half as fast under Mr Hawke as it had under the Fraser coalition Government.

Mr Beazley also said he would be seeking Cabinet approval for enlargement of Australia’s Pacific patrol-boat programme, to add another three patrol boats to the 12 which Australia has agreed to give to South Pacific island nations to help patrol their fishing zones.

Australia had to be careful in its dealings with the South Pacific to avoid impressions of neocolonialism, but island states looked to Australia for security guarantees, he said.

Military commitment to southeast Asia was also defended against claims that the deployment of navy vessels and Hornet fighters to Malaysia and Singapore was an expansion of involvement in the region.