In asking why Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade doesn’t do strategy, Peter Jennings has posed an important question. But the question begs at least two assumptions. The first is that the government agency …
Rod Lyon recently argued that an interesting feature of geostrategic competition in Asia is the search for ‘game-changers’ in military technology. Regional governments’ search for such ‘force-multiplier-level enhancements’ is one source of the present moment’s …
After more than a century of federation, we have a PM pointing us towards armed neutrality, and who doesn’t want to be closely aligned to a great and powerful friend. Granted, it’s a PM who …
Maybe it’s because I’m a child of the 1960s, but for me ‘NASA’ is a synonym for ‘cool’. You can’t be a science-obsessed lad of six (yes, I was really that sad) in July of …
The big cyber news out of the US this week was the Obama Administration’s release of the results of its three-month review into ‘big data’ and privacy. The report found that while big data can …
After reading Bob Carr’s Diary of a Foreign Minister, I’m left wondering why the business of foreign policy is—well, to be blunt—so completely un-strategic. Can it really be true that ‘all foreign policy is a …
In 1992 the United States left its naval facility at Subic Bay and its air force base at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. An active volcano, Mt Pinatubo, and a restless Philippines Senate opposed …
The National Commission of Audit’s report created quite a stir last week; pension ages to rise, family payment to fall, and a new model for federation. For those who lack the time to study the …
President Obama’s recent Asian tour, although successful, has done little to dilute the questioning of his global leadership style. A New York Times editorial on the weekend concluded that the president’s foreign policy isn’t as bad …
The Canberra officer project, like the art of strategy itself, is about the creation of power. And the position of Vice Chief of the Defence Force is a striking example of the project’s building effort. …
Last week, President Obama wrapped up a much anticipated tour of Asia which covered Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Philippines. The tour was largely seen as an attempt to reassure friends and allies of the US rebalance. …
‘We build too many walls and not enough bridges’ – Sir Isaac Newton Having spent the last week in Beijing meeting with a range of think tanks, government officials and academics, I was struck by …
Thanks to Brigadier Will Taylor (ret.) for an elegant summary of what seems to me to be the prevailing orthodoxy in Britain on this issue (in response to my piece here). The core of his …
The New Zealand government’s decision to commit an extra A$95m per year to defence for the next five years would scarcely rate a mention if the same had happened in Australia. The total of that …
Over two days last week in Sao Paulo, the much vaunted and anticipated NETmundial Conference came and went. Leaders from business, government, civil society, academia and other arenas converged to talk about the future of …
Three Bob Carrs jostle for attention in Diary of a Foreign Minister. There’s Bob the individual, a self-described ‘elitist arriviste’ with a range of tics and quirks. He’s got a passion for Pilates, an obsession …
Why is Defence funding like a duck swimming? Because there’s a lot going on underwater. Many defence projects exist that the average newspaper reader never hears about, but these projects are vital for making the …
Unsurprisingly, it’s the big defence procurement decisions that make the headlines—whether it’s the choice about the future submarine or last week’s decision to acquire 58 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF). As the Australian Defence Force (ADF) …
The tragic loss of Malaysian flight MH370 highlighted some compelling facts. Australia is responsible for some of the largest territory in the world—our search and rescue area covers nearly one tenth of the globe. The …
First up, on the domestic front this week a couple of reports have elevated the issue of government cybersecurity standards, or lack thereof. Australian Financial Review sources allege that the Chinese intelligence agencies that penetrated …