Canada’s ‘fireproof house’ defence strategy is causing problems among its allies. When you are convinced you live in a gated community, the pressure to invest in alarms for your home disappears.
The submarine announcement is sure to trigger a new round of debate on whether nuclear energy is right for Australia. But let’s be clear: the technology makes no sense for Australia.
PR exercise, elaborate purchasing agreement or genuine security pact? The new AUKUS agreement raises plenty of questions about why New Zealand missed out.
Nuclear submarines are powered by a miniature onboard fission reactor. They can go for decades without refuelling, making them faster, stealthier and much more expensive than conventional submarines.
Nuclear-powered submarines do not need to surface for air, allowing them to be stealthier for longer. But there’s still a million-dollar question: does this make us safer?
The budget number, slated to cover a 25-year-period, is not peculiar. Nevertheless, weapon systems procurement needs to involve good governance, accountability and legislative oversight.
Indonesian defence planners need to assume the worst-case scenario of future weapon system accidents and account for the whole acquisition lifecycle in weapon system procurements.
These issues matter to our strategic allies, particularly in the Pacific. Dutton’s climate change scepticism and attitudes toward First Nations people could have a damaging effect.
The difficult defence portfolio has had a swift turnover of ministers in recent decades. But with great challenges come great opportunities for Peter Dutton.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds faces an agonising question. Should she say to Scott Morrison that she doesn’t feel up to staying in what is one of the most demanding portfolios in the government?
The Morrison government is repurposing defence spending in a A$1 billion boost to support about 4,000 jobs and assist small and medium-sized businesses in the defence industry supply chain.
We have become very China-centric in our strategic thinking — and this could be to our detriment. We need to pay more attention to Beijing’s deepening defence ties with Russia.
Australian-based companies get a good share of Australian defence contracts, but not the Australian owned ones, and much of the work is mere subcontracting.
There is a real risk a national inquiry could get bogged down in politics, or not lead to real change. But we need more federal action on bushfires. Our old approaches are broken.