Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Australian Politics and Policy
argued for the self-reliant defence of the Australian continent in two ways: treating
geography as an independent variable with an enduring effect on Australia’s
strategic interests; and that Australia should maintain a regional technological
edge. 30 These ideas were meant to discipline defence planners: Australia could
contribute to overseas deployments with allies, but had to prioritise a military
geared towards the air and sea defence of Australia’s northern approaches and
relative de-emphasis upon the traditional prioritisation of the army.
Critics argue that there is a disjuncture between continental defence and what
the ADF actually does. 31 The liberal internationalist nature of Australia’s strategic
culture has been reflected in its deployments and security priorities against global
jihadism, humanitarian intervention, and providing backing to failing states in
Afghanistan, Iraq, Timor Leste or the Solomon Islands. Such issues permeated
the 2003 Defence Update. 32 More recent white papers have been criticised for
planning a force structure that is too thin to credibly deter a rising China from
operating in areas of strategic interest to Australia’s north, even with new capability
upgrades like the F35 joint strike fighter and the planned doubling of submarine
capabilities. 33 Howtodealwiththeseproblemshasyettobefullyresolved.The
2016 Defence White Paper’s prioritisation of a ‘stable Indo-Pacific region and a
rules-based global order’ 34 demonstrates how far removed current Australian
strategic thinking is from actual continental defence. Such debates reflect the
changing regional balance of power.
Given these facts, the size of the defence budget, the affordability of defence
procurements, the question of value-for-money when purchasing interoperable
defence capabilities from alliance partners, and even the effective deliverability of
an Australian defence industry, come to the fore as crucial issues for policy makers.
Defence is a department that ultimately needs to compete with other departments
for government funding and against cutbacks. Further, policy makers must balance
these strategic aims with domestic political contests, as the recent decision to build
new submarines in South Australia at considerable additional cost demonstrates.
Addressing these competing priorities will continue to confront defence chiefs and
their ministers in the future.
Non-traditional security challenges
The ‘almost complete alignment of Australia’s foreign policy priorities with its
national security agenda’ 35 reflects a broadened definition of ‘security’ 36 and the
30 Dibb 2006.
31 Evans 2005, 105.
32 Dupont 2003.
33 White 2019; White 2006.
34 Department of Defence 2016, 33.
35 Wesley 2012, 264.
36 Buzan 1991.
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