Moscow: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday hit out at a public-funded security think tank that questioned his government's "generational investment" in defense. Albanese, in an interview with ABC Brisbane radio, asked the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) to "have a look at themselves" after it warned Australia could be left with a "brittle and hollowed defense force" if military funding is not increased.

According to Anadolu Agency, in its latest Cost of Defense report released on Thursday, ASPI, one of the country's leading security think tanks, found that despite the government's claims, it made a "generational investment" in defense during the March budget. The failure of this year's budget to meet that responsibility will make all Australians less secure, the report warned.

When asked to comment on the report's findings, Albanese said: "Well, that's what they do, isn't it? ASPI. I mean, seriously, they need to, I think, have a look at themselves and the way they conduct themselves in debates." He emphasized that the government had conducted a defense strategic review and was making considerable additional investments, including a $10 billion increase in defense expenditure, lifting it up to 2.4% of GDP. The premier highlighted investments in assets, capabilities, and regional relationships as key areas of focus.

Albanese further commented, "ASPI regularly produce these sort of reports, you know, run by people who've been in a position to make a difference in the past as part of former governments." He added that the government's current efforts are focused on upgrading defense assets and providing necessary investments for those upgrades.

A government-commissioned review last year recommended a funding overhaul for ASPI.