26 May, 2013
Warship to join US fleet in hot zone
THE guided-missile frigate HMAS Sydney is about to join the US Seventh Fleet in Japan at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea. ASPI director Peter Jennings said the deployment was significant. With the estimated cost of accommodating the US Marine taskforce in Darwin coming in at $1.6bn, ASPI analysts Andrew Davies and Mark Thomson have said it made strategic sense for Australia to help out its US ally with the cost of its rebalancing to the Asia- Pacific region at a time of defence budget cuts in both countries
The Australian, p1
Daily Telegraph online
NEWS.com.au
Adelaide Now
Brisbane Courier-Mail
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10 May, 2013
Timor-Leste playing for high stakes over oil and gas
Timor-Leste is disputing a 2006 Treaty with Australia on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS). Anthony Bergin explores this move in this opinion piece.
The Australian online
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02 May, 2013
How would Australia cope in a medical emergency like Boston?
It's a sad truth that the horrific acts we've seen in Boston happen all over the world. But it's not clear how Australia would go mounting an effective medical response if faced with a challenge of a similar scale, writes Anthony Bergin.
ABC's The Drum online
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02 May, 2013
Defence: Enormous attack on spending
THE Gillard government is set to trim another large chunk from the defence budget as it seeks to cut spending in areas that carry a low risk of political damage, writes Ian McPhedran.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's defence budget expert Mark Thomson said the government should not bow to pressure from industry.
"If we were to get a fourth air warfare destroyer that would be the industry tail wagging the dog," Mr Thomson said.
Daily Telegraph, p4
Daily Telegraph online
Adelaide Advertiser, p5
Courier Mail, p9
Herald Sun, p12
Townsville Bulletin, p19
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02 May, 2013
Top Gun test to attract pilots
A new air force recruiting drive allows prospective recruits to go online to take intelligence tests and to simulate flying a jet. Mark Thomson. a senior defence analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and author of a 2006 recruitment and retention review of the defence force, said interactive entertainment was necessary to attract target demographics.
Australian Financial Review, p21
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02 May, 2013
New Defence White Paper on the way
THE long-awaited Defence White Paper will spell out a fresh vision for Australia's defence and its response to China's rising military power in the Asia-Pacific region.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute defence budget analyst Dr Mark Thomson said the amount of money needed would depend on national aspirations.
"Hopefully the White Paper will provide a clear vision for explaining to us why we need a defence force, what it's got to do, what it's going to look like and then provide adequate funding for it," he said.
The Australian online
Daily Telegraph online
Adelaide Now
Herald Sun online
NEWS.com.au
Perth Now
Brisbane Courier-Mail online
SBS News online
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29 April, 2013
White Paper without funds makes no sense
The military budget is already stretched to breaking point, writes Peter Jennings in this opinion piece.
The Australian, p10
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29 April, 2013
Time is right for China dialogue
Regular meetings, based on the Australia-US model, could benefit both sides, writes ASPI Chairman Stephen Loosley in this opinion piece.
The Australian, p10
The Australian online
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29 April, 2013
Boston tells us not to be blind to CCTV's uses
Anthony Bergin writes in this opinion piece that CCTV's privacy risks should be weighed against the technology's considerable benefits to public safety.
Sydney Morning Herald, p24
The Age online
Sydney Morning Herald online
WA Today
Brisbane Times online
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29 April, 2013
Defence wishlist doesn't add up
Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings has warned that if defence spending remains at about 1.5 per cent of GDP, it will discredit a raft of new defence acquisitions set to be contained in the imminent white paper.
The Australian, p2
The Australian online
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