Australia's conservative opposition leader Dutton pledges defence boost if elected

Kirsty Needham - Reuters - 07:51
Australia's conservative opposition party leader Peter Dutton, trailing in polls related to the May 3 election, has pledged to boost defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product within a decade, as the Trump administration pushes allies to spend more on security.
  • Australia's conservative opposition leader pledges to boost defence spending
  • Peter Dutton's Liberal Party trailing in May 3 election polling
  • Would raise spending by A$21 billion over five years, 3% of GDP in a decade
SYDNEY, April 23 (Reuters) - Australia's conservative opposition party leader Peter Dutton, trailing in polls related to the May 3 election, has pledged to boost defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product within a decade, as the Trump administration pushes allies to spend more on security.
"You don't achieve peace through weakness," Dutton said in Western Australia state on Wednesday, outlining his Liberal Party's defence policy, echoing U.S. President Donald Trump's line of "peace through strength".

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His party would offer the United States military greater access to northern Australia, he added.
Focusing on the conservative party's strength of national security in the final stretch of the campaign, Dutton, a former defence minister, said if he was elected his government would spend A$21 billion ($13.41 billion) more than Labor on defence over five years to reach 2.5% of GDP, and 3% within a decade.
Prime Min...
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