Episode 48: Conversations about Australia Together - Part 4

Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:In this series of the Australia Together Podcast we’re interviewing a range of people about the issues we can resolve by developing a long term integrated plan for a better future for Australia. We’re looking into a draft of such a plan - Australia Together - and canvassing views about strategies that are or should be included in it.Last week I published an article summarising the key strategies currently in Australia Together for achieving peace, security and independent defence of Australia. Find the article at https://bronwynkelly.substack.com/p/looking-into-australia-together-part-d8a?r=2e33fk In today’s episode I interview former diplomat and academic Dr Alison Broinowski on some key strategies we will need in Australia Together if we are to secure ongoing peace.Alison outlines how Australian governments are steering defence policy in ways that are exposing Australia to the risk of involvement in ongoing and unwinnable wars. We discuss how the government’s new statutory joint parliamentary committee on defence will reduce (not increase) transparency and parliamentary scrutiny of the executive government’s decisions on defence and war, and how Australia’s alliance with America and the UK is dangerous for Australians. We then focus on strategies for keeping Australians safe in a time of increasing superpower confrontations.Disclosure: Bronwyn Kelly and Alison Broinowski are committee members of Australians for War Powers Reform.Want to know more about Australia Together?Australia Together is the nation’s first community designed and driven long term, integrated plan for a better future. It’s designed to help Australians make the best future we can imagine in the 2020s a reality by 2050 or sooner.Browse the latest Issue of Australia Together - Issue No. 7 - at https://www.austcfp.com.au/australia-together . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com