Manufacturing more resilient supply chains

Australia should define and maintain a minimum manufacturing capacity to enhance its national resilience in an age of continuous, concurrent and cascading crises.

Improving state cooperation on security threats

Cooperation between federal and subnational Australian governments on national security must continue to evolve in the face of the complex terrorism, espionage and foreign interference threats.

Made in Australia

The government’s vision for critical minerals and a Future Made in Australia boldly attempts to move Australia’s economy forward amid slowing global growth and recent domestic economic stagnation, but future budgets will need to build on that investment and identify new income sources to do so.

Down the plughole

Wastewater analysis shows that Australia’s consumption of a range of illicit drugs continues to climb, despite the best efforts of law enforcement and harm minimisation schemes.

Renewing police connections in the Pacific

Australia should invest in strengthening its support and connections with policing in the Pacific to improve social stability on troubled islands and prevent China offering to fill a security void to pursue its own expansionist agenda.

Resilience in Australian agriculture

Prioritising the right places to invest in national resilience will be challenging, but shoring up the resilience of our food production to reduce vulnerabilities is a logical place to start.

Rebuilding social cohesion and national resilience

The Federal Department of Home Affairs should build on its new agenda by developing and deploying a national strategy for social cohesion and government trust.

Bank erosion

The growing exodus of international banks from the Pacific is leaving many Islanders without access to the safe, reliable financial services they need.

Magnesium chains can’t take the strain

Globalisation in one form or another is no doubt here to stay, but the age of predictable, reliable supply chains is over.

Fuel woes highlight resilience problem

Australia’s just-in-time approach to fuel supplies and the gradual decline in onshore refining left the nation vulnerable to international supply shocks which short term measures like fuel subsidies do nothing to counter.

Beyond the Solomon’s blame game

The Chinese government have bribed their way into a ‘security agreement’ with the Solomon Islands which will inevitably lead to a military base directly threatening Australia’s security. Rather than bicker over blame, both the Coalition and Labor must take action to protect the region from further Chinese incursion.

Supply-chain lessons from the COVID years

The government needs to promote discussions with the private sector about supply-chain resilience, nation-building and sovereignty to ensure the lessons learned over the last two years lead to action in the future.