 In Australia the conservative Nationalist Party government of Stanley Bruce latched onto the Singapore strategy , which called for reliance on the British navy , supported by a naval squadron as strong as Australia could afford . Between 1923 and 1929 , £ 20 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 was spent on the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) , while the Australian Army and the munitions industry received only £ 10 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 and the fledgling Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) just £ 2 @,@ 400 @,@ 000 . The policy had the advantage of pushing responsibility for Australian defence onto Britain . Unlike New Zealand , Australia declined to contribute to the cost of the base at Singapore . In petitioning a parsimonious government for more funds , the Australian Army had to refute the Singapore strategy , " an apparently well @-@ argued and well @-@ founded strategic doctrine that had been endorsed at the highest levels of imperial decision @-@ making " . 
