Timing wrong on new fighter news: ADA

A defence lobby group believes the government got its timing wrong in announcing plans for $12 billion worth of jet fighters then embarking on budget cuts to education, health and social services.

There are many in the community who think this expense is the reason for their budget pain, the Australia Defence Association (ADA) says.

The plan to buy 58 more F-35 joint strike fighter aircraft was announced on April 23, during the leadup to the May 13 budget.

ADA says the government failed to properly explain that this would be funded from already programmed defence budget allocations over decades.

"As a consequence, many thought the touted $12 billion acquisition cost was being made from this year's budget alone rather than over decades and was therefore the cause of this year's belt tightening," ADA said in a post-budget commentary.

ADA said general community ignorance or apathy explained much of this.

But that was no excuse for the media commentators and others who claimed that changes to social security were somehow linked to acquisition of replacement fighters.