One of the two core function of government is to keep us safe. To do so, government (and the people) need to understand what the threats are, where they come from, how likely they are to occur and the impact they could have on us. There is no point in our going to considerable expense in having a navy, air force and army just for the sake of it. The money needs to be well spent and ensure our safety.
We also need to decide whether we need friends, countries that will come to our assistance if we are under threat or will we stand alone in our defence? If we want others to come to our assistance, we need to recognise that we’ll also need to come to their assistance. If we decide to stand alone and we’re threatened by a major power, do we fight or surrender early?
Should we be concerned about any of the world’s current major powers – China, Russia and the USA? What about internal threats – from the far-left, the far right or the apathetic middle? Should we be concerned about the prospect of a mass influx of people arriving on our shores because of a natural disaster (such as a huge volcanic explosion) or political turmoil in our region? What about religious extremism – is that a concern for us or do we just put up our hands and sing kum bai ja? Should we be concerned about the rapid development of Ai and humanoid robotics that some say will be devastating for employees, many of whom will lose their jobs? If the world wants to stop aggression by a superpower, do we join them and if so how and on what basis? If a country decides to exercise control over international waters, do we allow it or do we join others in ensuring the waters remain free? If we want international waters to remain free, how do we ensure it?
If were to amount a defence against a major power, who would it more likely be and how would we defend ourselves. Is there, for example, any point in having a navy, air force and an army if we don’t have fuel security. Without it a major power could simply disrupt our shipping.
Is there any need to be self-sufficient? Energy, water, fuel and food security.
These are questions we need to answer before coming up with a suitable defence strategy. A CLA government will work with Defence to understand the threats and how to combat them. A CLA government will inform Australians as best it can, without putting defence personnel in further danger or jeopardizing any plan.