Time to Act is NOW! RSL Report Calls for Detailed Australian National Security Strategy.
MEDIA RELEASE
Increased Defence spending, stronger connections with ASEAN nations, a compact with South Pacific countries, a national community service scheme with elements similar to the US Peace Corps, strengthening Australia’s strategic and economic ties with the United States, and setting up a new national institute to monitor strategic threats are key recommendations of a major report issued today by the Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL).
In a detailed paper, An Australian National Security Strategy – Adapting to Poly-Crisis, the RSL’s National Defence and Security Committee says, overlapping demands now confronting the nation require Australia to strategically harness its natural and human resources to successfully meet these challenges.
These interwoven demands included a changing climate; cleaner, greener industry; stretched health services; deepening geopolitical shifts; accelerating technological transformation, increasingly autonomous systems; and growing challenges in governing cosmopolitan societies.
The RSL says the challenges confront all Australians, not just veterans and those in the Defence Force, and Australia requires a national security strategy to meet the growing social, economic, political and security challenges of today and the immediate future.
It says there must be a domestic political and social re-awakening to face the challenges to avoid damaging societal upheaval and to brace for the fallout of a spectrum of emerging issues.
Australia must weigh up its strategic options to achieve its desired outcome as a stable, prosperous and healthy nation, free to pursue its liberal democratic ways in association with the security and economic partners it chooses.
The primary author of the paper is former military officer John Blaxland, Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University and currently Director of the ANU’s North America Liaison Office. Professor Blaxland’s work was supported by other members of the RSL’s National Defence and Security Committee.
RSL National President Greg Melick says the paper speaks to the nation, not just veterans and those in Defence.
“This is a matter for all Australians; it impacts everyone”, Greg Melick said.
“War, famine and disease, daily in the headlines, make for an uncertain future while politicians struggle to rise above the tyranny of the urgent.”
“Following the Defence Strategic Review, the Government has committed to follow through in principle on many of its recommendations yet has chosen to do so by readjusting internal defence priorities rather than significantly boosting funding. The result is a mixed message to the Australian people about the gravity of the challenges and the urgency of our response.”
The paper notes that Australia has long been regarded as the land of plenty. Its resources are enormous and diverse, but as many Australians forget, they are finite, and the abundance experienced so far has generated a degree of complacency. With crises emerging on numerous fronts, that approach can no longer stand.
Greg Melick said the paper contended that Australia should actively engage the United States to encourage the US to remain constructively connected in the (Asia / Pacific) neighbourhood.
“Australia currently has limited sovereign capacity to respond to the growing range of threats. This means investing further in the capacity of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as well as state police and emergency response services and related government instrumentalities and infrastructure,” he said.
“All of the proposals outlined in An Australian National Security Strategy require adequate resourcing and the nation must brace to face the reality of the challenges emerging and the urgency of visionary engagement in response.”
“In Defence, nuclear propulsion submarines are in the mix but must not come at the expense of other capabilities required to increase resilience and preparedness for the full spectrum of challenges on the horizon.”
“In terms of military capacity,100 fighter aircraft, a dozen or so warships, three regular force combat brigades and some special forces are no longer enough. The plan to expand the surface naval fleet and acquire advanced submarines is a positive step, but this requires more than a shuffling of internal defence funding priorities – it requires a substantial increase in resourcing in the short, medium and long term. It is not something which we can afford to delay.”
“A key issue is that the current defence budget has not really increased, instead, a readjusting of funding is occurring. Preparing the nation’s defences from an inadequate situation is not going to be cheap and we need to be serious about this.”
“As well, Defence needs to reassess recruiting standards to seek more flexible entry conditions, amidst changing modern combat roles in cyber and space security and offer more flexible employment conditions to retain personnel.”
Among a range of conclusions and recommendations are:
The establishment of a statutory National Institute of Net Assessment, akin to the Productivity Commission, to consider the full spectrum of challenges, drawing on the breadth of research expertise in the university sector, as well as industry, think tanks, government and beyond.
A strengthening and deepening of Australia’s ties with ASEAN and its member states, especially Indonesia and others to enhance regional security and stability.
Addressing the Rohingya and broader Myanmar refugee crisis to prevent it worsening and before another wave of boat arrivals and further undermining of regional order. It suggests former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is well-placed to play an instrumental role in this.
With other like-minded countries, developing a federation-like compact of association with South Pacific countries perhaps with residency rights to boost Defence recruitment, and including cultural, scientific, educational and financial connections.
Maintaining and strengthening of economic and security ties with the United States and other closely aligned states and use Australia’s trusted access to counsel the US administration against adventurous initiatives while promoting the rules-based order.
Consideration of a universal national community service scheme with elements similar to the volunteer US Peace Corps, to foster a common sense of identity and to manage chronic personnel shortfalls in Defence and other key sectors so easing the reliance on Defence in times of natural disasters and emergencies.
Greg Melick said An Australian National Security Strategy pointed to the need for a steely focus on security for the nation, encompassing the full range of challenges, all accelerated by the fourth industrial revolution.
“The RSL strongly supports the paper’s conclusion that the old approach is no longer viable. The time to act is now,” he said.
RSL Defence and National Security Committee - Occasional Paper No. 1
Adapting to Poly Crisis:
A proposed Australian National Security Strategy
Acknowledgements
RSL Defence and National Security Committee members, notably Lieutenant General (Ret’d) Peter Leahy, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Peter Jones, and Air Marshal (Ret’d) Geoff Brown, as well as Ambassador (Ret’d) Clare Birgin (SDSC, ANU), Professor Miranda Forsyth (RegNet, ANU),Ms Jocelyn Cronin (RSL), and Ms Ingrid Lennon. Nonetheless, the author is solely responsible for the content and any errors observed.
About the Author
John Blaxland is Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University, where he is currently appointed as Director of its North America Liaison Office. A former military officer, he is the author of a range of books on military history, intelligence and international security. He is also a member of the RSL Defence and National Security Committee, an honorary appointment.
