A wide-ranging Pacific assistance package covering environmental, military, and economic support for Australia's closest neighbours will be unveiled in Tuesday's budget.
abc.net.au/news/australian-defence-force-federal-police-pacific-presence/102304544A wide-ranging Pacific assistance package covering environmental, military, and economic support for Australia's closest neighbours will be unveiled in Tuesday's budget, as the Albanese government moves to reassert influence and push back on China's growing ambitions in the region.
Sources with knowledge of the budget package say cabinet's razor gang only approved the "substantial" investment in the past two weeks, after first examining more expensive policy options that involved far greater spending in the Pacific. "This draws on elements from across the Australian government to bolster the support package for Pacific Island nations," the source confirmed, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly.
The final budget figure for additional spending on the Pacific is tightly held inside government, but the ABC understands it will reach hundreds of millions of dollars, and likely to top $1 billion, over the next four years.
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