Australia’s defence minister told the country to “prepare for war” in the run-up to this week’s general election, capping what analysts have called a “khaki campaign” by Scott Morrison’s incumbent rightwing government.
To counter what it sees as the threat from China, Morrison’s Coalition government has in recent years sealed the Aukus security pact with the US and UK and promised billions of dollars of new defence and cyber security spending.
With Labor party leader Anthony Albanese leading in the polls, the May 21 election has been viewed internationally as a potential reset of Australia’s highly assertive approach to Indo Pacific security and China’s rise.