Why do I need to do something concerning Australia's strategic security, defence and other national security issues?
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Ensuring Australia is adequately defended, and strategically and internally secure, is the primary responsibility of every Australian government.
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Helping defend Australia is also a universal civic responsibility of every Australian.
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Every Australian has a role in keeping our governments honest in regard to them meeting their defence and other national security responsibilities.
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Your opinions are important but you have a responsibility to note all the relevant facts before finalising or passing on your opinions.
Few Australians think much about Australia's strategic security and our common defence. Even fewer ever change their vote on a national security issue alone.
As a consequence, many Australians do not even begin to realise the vital importance of strategic security and defence issues until a crisis occurs that requires sudden use of our (generally under-resourced) defence force.
Unfortunately, by then, it is usually too late to redress the years of complacency or neglect concerning adequate national investment in our common defence, strategic security and freedom of action as a sovereign country.
Consequently, there has often been a tendency to blame the victim — our defence force — when its capabilities are found to be deficient.
Rather than sheet blame home truly to the ministers and governments actually responsible.
Or, indeed, by us accepting responsibility ourselves as citizens guilty of complacency or indifference about the perennial under-resourcing of Australia's national defence capabilities because we have liked that portion of our taxes diverted elsewhere through self-interest.
What happens when you do not pay adequate attention
As a further and long-term consequence of this community and electoral indifference, Australian politicians of all parties tend to neglect their national defence responsibilities.
They do this because they see no votes in it and/or they find thinking about their defence responsibilities too hard intellectually or inconvenient politically.
Especially as defence is a national governance responsibility requiring long-term planning and sustained investment over long periods.
Particularly when it clashes with party-political perspectives driven instead by our, much shorter, three-year federal electoral cycle — where the future Australians placed at risk by this perennially inadequate investment don't get to vote now to fix it now (before it may be too late in their time).
But our political leaders are able to neglect their defence responsibilities, and divert investment elsewhere so often, only because most Australians (and the media and other opinion makers) allow them to do so through indifference or (short-term) self-interest.
Doing something about it
If you have something important to say about Australia's strategic security, defence, or broader issues of national security, you should consider directing your correspondence to the following as relevant.
Remember to identify yourself properly (only cranks or cowards use anonymity) and be constructive, calm and civil.
Should you choose to do so, please drop us a copy at ADA Feedback.
Politicians: The Government
Hon Julia Gillard, MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7700; Fax: (02) 6273 4100
Hon Stephen Smith, MP
Minister for Defence
Parliament House CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7800; Fax: (02) 6273 4118
stephen.smith.mp@aph.gov.au
Hon Jason Clare, MP
Minister for Defence Materiel
Parliament House CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7620; Fax: (02) 6273 7112
Hon Warren Snowdon, MP
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
Parliament House CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7820; Fax: (02) 6273 4140
Senator Hon David Feeney
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support
Parliament House CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 3415; Fax: (02) 6277 5806
Hon Mike Kelly, MP
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
Parliament House CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
(02) 6277 4840; Fax: (02) 6277 8556
Politicians: The Opposition
Hon Tony Abbott, MP
Leader of the Opposition
Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 4022; Fax: (02) 6277 8495
Senator Hon David Johnston
Opposition Spokesman for Defence
Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 3222; Fax (02) 6277 5772
Stuart Robert, MP
Opposition Deputy Spokesman for Defence
Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (07) 5580 0355; Fax (07) 5580 0366
Senator Gary Humphries
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT, 2600
Tel: (02) 6247-6444; Fax: (02) 6257-4140
Major Australian newspapers
The Editor, The Australian
The Editor, The Australian Financial Review
The Editor, The Age (Melbourne)
The Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
The Editor, The Courier Mail (Brisbane)
The Editor, The Canberra Times
The Editor, The West Australian (Perth)
The Editor, The Advertiser (Adelaide)
The Editor, The Mercury (Hobart)
The Editor, The Herald Sun (Melbourne)
The Editor, The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Major New Zealand newspapers
The Editor, The New Zealand Herald (Auckland)
The Editor, The Dominion Post (Wellington)
The Editor, The Press (Christchurch)
Back to Prodding prominent Australians about meeting their defence responsibilities
