The terror attack at Bondi Beach on Sunday should be understood not only as an act of violence but as a stress test of Australia’s security, social and policy systems. The immediate danger has passed. …
Articles by: "John Coyne"
Last night’s violence at Bondi was confronting, brutal and deeply unsettling. It shattered the ordinary rhythms of a place that Australians associate with life, leisure and community. In moments like this, grief and fear arrive …
The ritual is now familiar. A user calls Grok, the AI model used on social media platform X, into a political argument. Grok gives a mainstream, citation-driven answer. Instead of settling anything, it becomes fresh …
The signals from Washington on critical minerals are no longer ambiguous; they are decisive, strategic and aligned with Australia’s long-term interests. The issue is whether Canberra and industry can convert this momentum into concrete projects …
Australia lacks secure, onshore computing power capable of training defence algorithms, running classified simulations or supporting the advanced capability agenda under the AUKUS partnership. Addressing this shortfall requires the government and industry to move decisively …
A tanker sprinting against the clock to beat a cyclone shouldn’t be a national-security storyline—but last week it became one. As Tropical Cyclone Fina tracked toward the Top End, port authorities expedited the arrival of …
For many public servants, the term ‘business excellence’ may sound like a corporate cliche, something best left to private-sector boardrooms and glossy management textbooks. But I’ve spent nearly a decade working with the United Arab …
I published my 300th Strategist article last week, marking 10 years of writing, arguing and reflecting on Australia’s security, resilience and place in the world. That body of work is more than a stack of …
The US Marine Corps’ newly released Force Design Update 2025 is a strategic pivot disguised as a technical document. It doesn’t just modernise how the Marines fight; it redefines where they will fight from. And …
The definition of a ‘terrorist act’ included in Australia’s Criminal Code since 2002 has been important in protecting Australia’s national security and reinforcing the resilience of our democratic institutions. That definition, currently the subject of …
The Pacific doesn’t have a drug problem. Australia and New Zealand do. And our unrelenting demand for illicit drugs is exporting instability into the region. A recent report in The Australian warned that Pacific Islanders deported …
Australia needs a dedicated aerospace testing range, and it should be in the Northern Territory. Developing aircraft, missiles and their equipment, and verifying new capabilities added to them, requires real-world testing in large airspaces equipped …