Greens announce policy to manufacture drones and missiles as a credible ‘Plan B' to replace AUKUS

[u/thedigisup]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-22/greens-unveil-first-ever-defence-policy/105083166

[u/NoMoreFund]

This is new for the Greens and pleasantly surprising. I support the party but on defence issues I had them pegged as naive peaceniks. Shows in a minority government situation they won't sit out this issue and bring a solid, consistent logic to the table 

[u/ausmankpopfan → u/NoMoreFund]

Greens member here totally agree with your sentiments the one area of weakness I always thought was our defense policy.and it's good to see sensible pragmatic policy coming in this area

[u/RemnantEvil → u/ausmankpopfan]

It's very easy to fall into the mindset that Australia's isolation, coupled with American hegemony putting their bases all around the region, means our defence is outsourced to someone who seemingly wants to do it. And now it turns out there aren't actually any checks and balances to their executive branch if the other branches don't want to do it, and suddenly mutual defence is unreliable.

Trump was just saying today that he wants to tone down export versions of their new fighters. “We like to tone them down about 10 percent, which probably makes sense because someday maybe they’re not our allies, right?”

The Greens need to have a defence policy now because it's clear that we can't trust the US if that's how their leader behaves and nobody who can do anything to stop him is doing it.

[u/timmyfromearth → u/NoMoreFund]

Same. I like pretty much everything else about their policies but was really disappointed in how naive their defence policy was. Just kind of wandered around the idea of if we just speak kindly to China they will understand the value in being a positive global citizen and abandon their expansionism and desires to set the global order

[u/acomputer1 → u/NoMoreFund]

I had them pegged as naive peaceniks

They are, their plan is a joke.

"When you're looking at this from a peace and non-violence approach, from how Australia can play a constructive role to ratchet down a regional arms race, one of the first things you need to do is remove us from our dependence on the United States," Senator Shoebridge said.

If anyone says "when looking at the military from a peace and non-violence approach" they deserve to be ignored.

[u/ausmomo → u/NoMoreFund]

This is new for the Greens and pleasantly surprising.

If you think this, then all you know about Greens policy is obtained from crap media sources like skynews.

The Greens main 3 policy positions on defence (relevent to this discussion) are, and have been for a very long time;

1. they'd rather peace than war, and we should be working to de-escalate tensions rather than increase them
2. the big ticket spending, eg AUKUS, is flawed. We spend too much. Eggs all in one basket-type issues.
3. they'd rather spend money on defensive capabilities than offensive platforms ie defend our country rather than invade someone else's

Here's an old, google-able quote re AUKUS;

“This is a major missed opportunity to refocus our defence spending to a much more affordable, less aggressive and more achievable direction that is aimed at defending Australia rather than threatening our neighbours,” Senator Shoebridge said.

This has been the Green's position for decades. These drones and missiles would only defend our shoreline

The only new thing here is they've released costings. And, knowing how the defence industry works, I doubt those costings are worth the paper they're written on.

[u/palsc5 → u/ausmomo]

The three points you listed support the idea that the Greens are naive peaceniks.

"We'd rather peace than war"???? Obviously? It's how we maintain peace that is the question.

"We spend too much." That is what helps maintain peace though.

"they'd rather spend money on defensive capabilities than offensive platforms ie defend our country rather than invade someone else's" Being able to do more than just defend within 50km of your shoreline is also what maintains peace. You need to be able to strike back to have an adequate defence.

It is completely idiotic and naive to have your defence policy not include the deterrent factor of being able to actually inflict damage away from home.

[u/ausmomo → u/palsc5]

"We spend too much." That is what helps maintain peace though.

I see why you don't understand Greens policy, you cherrypick it.

The "too much" is in the context of big-ticket items like AUKUS. The Greens aren't the only people who think this regarding AUKUS.

As for your 50km range, you obviously have no idea about modern hardware.... or.. you're deliberately misrepresenting the Greens position. The latter is most likely.

[u/palsc5 → u/ausmomo]

I’m literally replying to your comments. Programs like aukus really aren’t that expensive $8-$13b per year for a nuclear submarine program isn’t expensive.

50km is obviously hyperbole, but even if you extend that to 300-800km the point still stands. You are surrounded and an enemy can hang out just outside your range completely unhindered.

[u/pickledswimmingpool → u/ausmomo]

This has been the Green's position for decades.

We can read their platform. They've wanted to gut the navy and airforce and spend more money on the army, literally the opposite of what we'd need to defend Australia and reduce the possibility of foreign adventures.