Politicians do not do irony well, especially when they are on the ropes.

How else can one understand the Coalition’s invertebrate media release two days before Anzac Day – commemorating over 100,000 Australian war dead – which outlines a defence plan that could put Australians at risk in the dystopian world the policy is supposed to fix?

The bravery of the fallen is these days outdone only by the bravado of those who advocate significant increases in military capability and expenditure without risk assessment or cost analysis. The Coalition’s braves are barracking for a $21bn increase in spending over the forward estimates to bring our national defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.

There is no courage in calling for increased spending. Lots of would-be experts do, even though only a third of Australians agree.

But it is clearly a bridge too far in the courage stakes to say where the money will come from. There are only three sources: increased taxation; cuts to existing programs or increased debt – or a combination of these.

In a political climate that favours the path of least resistance, no one is going to advocate tax increases.........

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