Dr. David Mickler School of Social and Political Sciences Security Issues and Australian Foreign...

Dr. David MicklerSchool of Social and Political Sciences

Security Issues and

Australian Foreign Policy

National security

National security is central to any government’s foreign policy objectives …

“The first priority of government is the nation’s security”

(PM Rudd 2008)

= protection of population, territory, resources, infrastructure, way of life, from external (and internal) threats in ‘anarchical’ international environment.

Major themes in Australia’s security

• Australia’s geo-strategic ‘isolation’: ‘geography vs history’ (security)

• Asia as historical source of insecurity

• Need for ‘great and powerful friends’

• Globalisation and ‘new’ security threats

In the past …

• Defense against military attack by another state the primary concern

• Security via British Empire until WWII

• Shift to military alliance with USA: ANZUS Treaty 1951

• Cold War: tied to US global anti-communist security agenda

Approaches to Australian defence

(1) Forward defence: make contribution as ‘junior partner’ to the overseas wars of allies (as ‘insurance policy’). Global focus.

(2) Continental defence: focus on defending Australian mainland from local threats. Regional focus.

Contemporary global security environment

• Less actual or potential traditional wars between states

• Concerns about intra-state conflict and risks from ‘failed states’

• Globalisation and transnational security threats

‘New’ security issues for Australian gov’t

• Transnational terrorism

• Proliferation of WMD (+ terrorism)

• Transnational organised crime

• Global health pandemics

• Climate change

Australian gov’t foreign policy responses

• Tighten border security

• Forward defence: Iraq & Afghanistan

• Intervention in regional ‘arc of instability’: East Timor & Solomon Islands

• International cooperation (global, regional, bilateral)

Key questions …

• US alliance: enhance or undermine Australian national security? Defence self-reliance?

• Impact of rise of China and India on international (& Australia’s) security?

• Security focus: regional or global?

• How to manage inter-dependent security in a globalised world?

© Copyright The University of Melbourne 2008