Defence Minister Richard Marles has refused to say what percentage of GDP the Albanese government will spend on defence.

He has announced $12 billion in additional funding for the Henderson submarine base , but Mr Marles will not say how this impacts defence spending percentages.

The Albanese government itself reintroduced the GDP measure in the 2024 National Defence Strategy, promising to lift investment to 2.4 per cent by 2033–34.

The announcement comes under the shadow of US demands that Australia lift its military investments to 3.5 per cent of GDP.

President Donald Trump and his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have both pressed Canberra to go beyond the 2.33 per cent projected by 2033.

“We're not focused on that number. We are focused on what money we are spending for the def

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