Labor inflates defence spending figure with ‘accounting trickery’

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Ted O’Brien has blasted the Labor government for inflating their defence spending figure using veterans’ welfare payments and intelligence agency funding.

“The pressure has been on the Albanese government to increase defence spending and for good reason,” Mr O’Brien told Sky News Australia.

“You don’t improve Australian safety by taking welfare payments from one spreadsheet into the defence spreadsheet, and suddenly Australia is safer.”