The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister
‘For Australian policymakers, this increasingly interconnected policy terrain underlines the importance of acting cooperatively with other states.
Australia’s national assets are of course not insubstantial.
* Of the 192 members of the United Nations, Australia has the sixteenth largest economy. * Australia has the fifth largest economy in East Asia. * Australia is a major supplier of energy and mineral resources to China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. * And, in purely military terms, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute this year ranked Australia’s defence spending as the 11th largest in the world.’
Speech by The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Address to the East Asia Forum in conjunction with the Australian National University, Advancing Australia’s global and regional economic interests, 26 March 2008
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The Hon Duncan Kerr SC MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs
‘I very much welcome the contribution ASPI makes, and has long made, to the policy debate in the Pacific. Previous ASPI reports, including Strengthening Our Neighbours: Australia and the Future of PNG (in 2004), have made important contributions to Australia’s Pacific policy.’ ‘I thank ASPI very much for playing such a crucial role in taking forward this agenda.’
Speech by the The Hon Duncan Kerr SC MP, at the launch of ASPI Special Reports Australia and the South Pacific: Rising to the challenge and Engaging our neighbours: Towards a new relationship between Australia and the Pacific Islands at Parliament House, 14 March 2008.
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Geoffrey Barker, Journalist
Article by Geoffrey Barker on Australia's powerful defence people. ASPI's Budget and Management Program Director, Mark Thomson is number 5 after Brendan Nelson, John Howard, Angus Houston, and Ric Smith. Barker says Mark "single-handedly brought unprecedented clarity to the Defence budget and to Defence industry issues. He is deservedly a powerful and respected Defence insider.'
Australian Financial Magazine, October 2006 'Power 06', Sectoral Power, p.101
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The Hon. John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia
'…the kind of approach the Institute has brought to an examination of Australia’s strategic challenges and the number of, and range of people that you have assembled to take part in this conference certainly vindicates the government’s faith, both in the concept and also the people who are now giving leadership to the Institute.'
Opening keynote address ASPI’s Global Forces conference, 26 September 2006.
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Allan Behm, Director Knowledge Pond
'In the volume's [Committee for Economic Development of Australia] best essay, Mark Thomson surveys the policy pendulum that, for more than 30 years, has swung between exploiting the choices available in the global defence industry marker and protecting domestic defence industrial capability.'
The Diplomat, August/September edition 2006
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Senator, Kerry Williams Kelso O'Brien (Tasmania)
'Labour calls on [spokesperson for the Minister of Transport and Regional Services] Mr Truss to do more than his predecessor, Mr Anderson, and fix the known deficiencies in maritime security. He could...start by reading the report of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute entitled Future unknown: The terrorist threat to Australian maritime security.'
Hansard, Senate proceedings, 7 February 2006, p.17
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Senator The Hon Robert Hill, Minister for Defence
'During its short life, ASPI has filled an important niche in strategic policy debate in Australia. It has produced high quality papers on contemporary issues and thus stimulated debate, it has analysed and critically commented upon the position of Government, and through the media it has engaged the public. .... The role of ASPI and the small group of strategic policy think tanks that we have in Australia is very important. You can test the arguments, debate the merits and above all draw a wider constituency into these important debates.'
Opening Keynote Address, ASPI International Conference, 14 September 2005
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Senator The Hon Robert Hill, Minister for Defence
'The appointment of Mr Johnson reflects the Government desire to meet that charter and extend the geographical influence of ASPI. With business and the economy critical components of the strategic debate, it is also intended to further encourage a wider business participation...with the appointment of Mr Johnson I'm sure it will continue to grow as an important Australian institution.'
Defence press release, 18 August 2005
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Greg Sheridan, Journalist
'It's many years since I've read a more rewarding or compelling document about public opinion [Representative Views: Mass and elite opinion on Australian security]...as you can see, I like this survey. I can't recommend it too highly.'
The Weekend Australian, June 2005, p.20
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Geoffrey Barker, Journalist
'Exposing the byzantine financial and management performance of Australia's $17.5 million-a-year Defence Organisation falls heavily on two lonely but extremely effective champions of open accountable government. The first is the Australia National Audit Office [ANAO]...the second is the solidary figure of Mark Thomson, budget and management program director at the government-funded Australian Strategic Policy Institute [ASPI]'.
The Australian Financial Review, June 2005, p.62
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