-
Nov 10, 2024 | 
strategicanalysis.org | Lesley Seebeck
Most commentary thus far has been on how the Australian government will handle a Trump Administration. More will emerge on the implications for Australia, from Trump’s tariff policies to the likely continued decoupling from China, and Trump’s transactional nature. As a first cut, here are some fundamental defence issues the government—of whatever persuasion—must address. AlliancesThe bedrock of Australian strategic policy is the US Alliance, ANZUS.
-
Oct 30, 2024 | 
afr.com | Lesley Seebeck
Later this week, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security is likely to hold hearings on the new cybersecurity legislation. There are three bills: a new Cyber Security Act; changes to the Intelligence Services Act; and changes to the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act. After referral to the PJCIS, submissions were open for two weeks, during which time respondents had to get through close to 1000 pages of material. Loading...
-
Oct 17, 2024 | 
strategicanalysis.org | Lesley Seebeck
Warfare has changed fundamentally. Rather than seeing it as a linear progression—or adapted regression, depending on your perspective—we should understand it as increasing entanglement between the three strategic domains of conventional warfare, nuclear warfare, and cyber warfare. As such, it is now continuous, with flexes, flows and intersection points between domains.
-
Sep 3, 2024 | 
strategicanalysis.org | Lesley Seebeck
Recently, the nuclear debate, such as it is in Australia, has been captured by two significant developments. There are the plans for nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS arrangements. That will entail new skills, capabilities and operational practice on the part of the defence force, technology transfers of exceptionally closely held information from our two partners, and new civilian responsibilities, including the management of material.
-
Jun 26, 2024 | 
strategicanalysis.org | Lesley Seebeck
Some head-of-state, and head-of-government, visits are not like others. Generally, Australians are fairly relaxed when it comes to such matters. But there are occasions where such a visit will stir differing communities to active protest or generate public debate with and within government. The visit of President Turgut Ozal of Turkey many years ago, for example, saw local Greek and Turkish Cypriots face off both in Canberra and Sydney.
-
Jun 14, 2024 | 
strategicanalysis.org | Lesley Seebeck
Is Australia ready for conflict in an age of empires? Briefly: no. Australian strategy and policy, most recently articulated in the National Defence Strategy (NDS), is solidly grounded in the post-World War II, even post-Cold War, Westphalian world view. It is dominated by nation-states, rational actors that abide, broadly, by an international rules-based order. That’s understandable: it is the world that policy and decision-makers know. The problem is that we no longer live in that world.
-
Mar 23, 2023 | 
aspistrategist.org.au | Lesley Seebeck
The demands of AUKUS Last week’s announcement of the ‘optimal pathway’ for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines has provoked further commentary on AUKUS. The breadth of the arguments illustrates how once stable strategic certainties have become fractured and contestable.
-
Mar 13, 2023 | 
canberranews.net | Peter Jennings |Lesley Seebeck
Diligently, obediently and with a degree of dangerous imbecility, several Australian media outlets are manufacturing a consensus for war with a country that has never been a natural, historical enemy nor sought to be. But as Australia remains the satellite of a Sino-suspicious U.S. imperium, its officials and their dutiful advocates in the press seem obligated to pave the way for conflict. The latest example of this came in articles run in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
-
Mar 11, 2023 | 
independentaustralia.net | Binoy Kampmark |Peter Jennings |Lavina Lee |Lesley Seebeck
Diligently, obediently and with a degree of dangerous imbecility, several Australian media outlets are manufacturing a consensus for war with a country that has never been a natural, historical enemy nor sought to be. But as Australia remains the satellite of a Sino-suspicious U.S. imperium, its officials and their dutiful advocates in the press seem obligated to pave the way for conflict. The latest example of this came in articles run in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
-
Mar 7, 2023 | 
openforum.com.au | Lesley Seebeck
If you work in the federal government in Australia, you know there’ll be occasions when ministers call for ideas—and kudos to Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil for grasping the opportunity presented by the Optus and Medibank hacks. Savvy bureaucrats know how to exploit such opportunities. Proposals will be close to hand that, with a bit of wordsmithing, will serve the minister’s need.
