National security in the years ahead

April 16, 2025

I have concerns that Australia is moving in the wrong direction. I feel we should replace AUKUS with a more future-based military need, which I feel is not against China. Australia has skills that are not being utilised to develop drone technology, for instance, as well as anti-drone technology.

My concerns about buying from the US is that American equipment is usually so poorly designed. Also, any foreign-designed software system is often built with backdoors that enable the equipment to be disabled. (The Ukranians discovered this during their drone attack on Russian shipping).

I feel Australia needs to have stronger ties to our neighbours, particularly with trade and military agreements: Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, as well as our other Southeast Asian friends. I would like to see a free-trade Pacific zone to counter the current silly antics of the US.

Personally, I would also like to see the end of the US surveillance bases in Australia, something I suspect Gough Whitlam was considering that perhaps led to the CIA destabilising the then Australian Government and instilling fear in all subsequent governments.

Local resilience is required, I feel.