Coalition blocks senate bill to halt sale of 67 Defence sites including HMAS
The Coalition will introduce a senate bill to block the government's plan to sell 67 Defence Force properties.
The Albanese government announced in February it would sell or partly sell up to 67 Australian Defence Force sites to boost military funding and reduce maintenance costs. Key sites include Victoria Barracks in Sydney and Melbourne, Point Cook near Melbourne, which is considered the birthplace of the RAAF, and only part of HMAS Penguin on Sydney's Middle Head.
More than 108,000 Australians have signed a petition against the sales. Coalition Defence spokesman Senator James Paterson says the bill would require the Defence Minister to justify each sale in parliament.
He argues the government is selling the family silver because it refuses to properly fund Defence.
- up to 67
- Sites for sale
- more than 108,000
- Petition signatures
- Senator James Paterson
- Opposition spokesman
Why it mattersDefence heritage sites could be lost if the sales go ahead, and the debate pits government infrastructure strategy against protection of military history.
AustraliaAffects what happens to Australia's historic Defence properties and signals a major political clash over how much the military should rely on asset sales for funding.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
