The case for civil defence

The escalating geostrategic threats to Australia demand more than military might in response and a resilient, united and proactive civil defence framework could help safeguard citizens and build national resilience.

Defending the nation

In an age of heightened geopolitical competition and the real prospect of high-intensity conflict, Australia must embrace a whole-of-nation approach to national defence.

Industrial mobilisation

Industrial mobilisation is the ultimate test of national resilience. It is a recognition that the sinews of a nation’s economy are, in extremis, the lifeline of its armed forces. We cannot afford to wait for the conflict to begin before we start priming the pump.

The gathering storm

Australia’s lack of economic complexity, national security planning and strategic foresight endangers our future as the converging and compounding global crises of the coming decade are not isolated challenges, but an existential threat demanding a unified, resolute response.

Arms and the men

Australia must rapidly bolster its armed forces and defence industry to deter aggression, maintain its sovereignty and protect its interests in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific

A world split assunder

Elisabeth Braw’s insightful 2024 book, Goodbye Globalization: The Return of a Divided World, has proven remarkably prescient in understanding the turbulent global landscape of 2025.

Treating defence like it matters

The National Defence Strategy released in April 2024 warned that Australia’s strategic circumstances were rapidly deteriorating in the face of Russian and Chinese aggression, and the election of Donald Trump underlines the need for Australia to prepare to defend itself.

Learning the lessons of national resilience

Collective, collaborative action, enabled by governments and built on the capability of Australian industry and communities, can create a more resilient Australia, can ensure that we’re well placed to face the future with confidence.