Ahead of AUKUS nuclear subs announcement, Anthony Albanese says defence spending will rise

The Prime Minister declined to give a new figure, apart from that it would rise from a minimum of 2 per cent of GDP, and - in pointed remarks to the opposition - the defence of our country had to be "paid for."

It comes just days out from the official announcement in San Diego of the AUKUS pact, a trilateral security deal with the UK and US that China has again criticised as exacerbating the arms race. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has urged AUKUS nations to abandon "the Cold War mentality".

This has been dismissed by Mr Albanese, who has been touring India, but he has conceded there are considerable costs associated with AUKUS, the "single biggest leap in our defence capability", as well as the soon to be delivered Defence Strategic Review.

It has been reported that Australia will acquire two submarine designs: up to five US Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines while waiting to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines based primarily on a new British design with American technology.

"I said consistently that we will need a minimum of 2 per cent of GDP, but I expect that defence spending will increase," the Prime Minister told reporters.

"We've made it very clear when we speak about the pressures on the budget, that one of the areas is defence. So, I say to the Coalition that seem to oppose everything ... this does have to be paid for."

"The defence of our country is a solemn responsibility of government. And it is one that I take seriously. This is an investment in our security, and we'll do what is necessary to keep our country secure".

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While there has been strong bipartisanship over the AUKUS agreement which began under then Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Mr Albanese is making a rare foray into domestic policy while travelling overseas.

He pushed back on continued Coalition and some media criticism of Labor's proposed changes to double the tax rate on superannuation nests worth more than $3 million. The measure is designed to raise an extra $2 billion in tax revenue a year.

On Friday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was touring Western Australia and referred to Labor's new "super tax" and "you're seeing a government make it more difficult in relation to superannuation."

But Mr Albanese has called for calm.

"When people have had rather extraordinary headlines from time to time about small increases in revenue, they need to bear that in mind," he told reporters.

"We need to make sure that we invest more in our defence. You don't just pluck a figure out in order to get a headline in a newspaper. We'll invest in what is needed."

Mr Dutton said AUKUS is a "great outcome" for Australia.

"The public often say politicians fight too much or there are stances taken that are in the short-term interest," he told the Today Show.

"This is in the long-term interest of our country."