With the drums of war currently starting to be sounded around the world, the Australian Government is starting to concern itself with enhancing our national sovereignty against the threat of armed conflict and foreign Communist and allied interference.
My recent research into just what Canberra is quietly thinking behind the scenes about defence has revealed to me just what our present Federal authority is seriously considering for 2025.
According to documents drawn up by Richard Marles, our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the first responsibility of his Government this new year is the compact it has with our people to provide continued safety and security.
The Minister claims that the world at present is under enormous strain. He describes the threat of armed conflict as being “less remote” with foreign interference being more prevalent than ever.
As a result, the Government believes it has never been more important to “guard, reinforce and enhance” our basic national sovereignty than at this juncture in our history.
In a nutshell, the Government is entering the new year with the conviction that Australia’s current circumstances are the most complex and challenging since the end of the Second World War. Certain regions around Australia have also been officially classified as suffering from uncertainty.
With the occurrence of hostilities elsewhere on our globe, the
Government considers that the normally vital rules-based order is now under pressure and is currently threatening our 2025 security and prosperity.
According to official government documents I have researched, Russia’s “illegal and immoral” war in Ukraine is considered to be a salutary warning to us as this war violates the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity everywhere.
In Richard Marles’ own words, Putin’s warring actions have reminded our Government of the importance of Australia building partnerships and defence capabilities to deter and to respond to “those who seek to use power and might to reshape the world around them.”
He categorically points out that this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue, particularly as in our Pacific region “very large military build-ups are rivalling anything of this nature seen in the post-Second World War period.”
Australia and other Western Democratic World countries are also reported by the Government to be experiencing difficulties in verifying nuclear weapon proliferation and stockpiles due to a lack of transparency. An added problem is officially reported to be the growth in the number of cyber-attacks being experienced in Australia from foreign sources.
As Richard Marles succinctly reports “we now live in a less and less stable world — a world that will demand more of Australia, our people and our Defence Force to protect our way of life.”
As a result of the position we now find ourselves in, Australian Government policies place great faith in the fact that, as a country, we work closely with likeminded nations, with our key partners and with our United States allies with whom we have had a strong Alliance for over 80 years.
As we all know, the Australian Government has always adopted a “we look to America” refrain when world affairs have hotted up in the past.
Ever since an Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, laid the foundations to our U.S. Alliance strategy, the U.S. has been central to our national security and sovereignty.
To my way of thinking, a question that now needs to be answered is whether the new Trump Cabinet will continue to fully endorse this long-time bond in view of its published belief that the U.S. can no longer act as the world’s foremost policeman.
According to Richard Marles, those people who think Australia would be better off by having to “go it alone” are seriously mistaken. He points out that the U.S. Alliance fundamentally strengthens our sovereignty and affords us “capability, technology and intelligence advantages we simply could not acquire or develop on our own.”
A key to Australia meeting the complex 2025 security challenge currently facing us is officially described as a stronger defence force and working hand-in-glove with enhanced diplomacy, intelligence gathering, economic statecraft and offering unspecified development assistance to certain smaller countries around us.
Although the Australian Government believes our primary effort is to initially use diplomacy as a frontline force, it is adamant that strengthened defence capabilities are now vital in the interests of achieving full regional stability and in deterring future conflicts.
In the recent Government documents I have seen there is little direct reference to China. Generally speaking, the theme here has been that we have benefitted from our trade with this country and our Government aims to stabilise this relationship as things stand at present. It has noted, however, that China is “becoming more assertive” these days.