Janaline, Luke and Glenn ask why the Australian government is committing so much of your taxes to defence and whether they are getting value for money. This takes them into questioning what we are getting, from whom and why, and also whether working seamlessly with allies also means giving up sovereignty (spoiler alert - Janaline thinks not). We look at how warfare is changing and whether autonomous drones are an ethical substitute for nuclear powered submarines. And to nobody’s surprise, Janaline thinks we should invest more in diplomacy as a front-line component of our national security strategy.
Janaline, Luke and Glenn look at the AUKUS program and ask why the government can’t just ditch it. And given the erratic decisions coming out of the current US administration, they ask why we wouldn’t just extract ourselves from the US alliance while we are at it.
Janaline and William examine the US and Israel attack on Iran, its consequences for the rest of the world and the Australian government’s response.
Janaline and William discuss the state of the international rules-based order and the current dynamics of the Australia-US relationship following Kevin Rudd’s early departure as ambassador.
Callum and Janaline examine whether Australia needs to boost military expenditure, the genuine strategic challenges facing the nation, and the likelihood of submarine delivery under AUKUS.
William and Janaline examine Australia’s response to the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and the important role of international law in times of crisis.