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Keywords: Defence

  • INTERNATIONAL

    An American crisis

    • Warwick McFadyen
    • 15 July 2024

    Following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, politicians, including the US President were quick to condemn the shooting, all saying it had no place in American society or democracy. Tell that to children killed by gunfire. Every day, guns take young lives in the US. Gun violence was recently declared a national health crisis in the United States. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Seeking refuge, finding red tape

    • Kerry Murphy
    • 05 July 2024

    There is no doubt that laws for determining refugee status and onshore protection are complex. The cases of NZYQ and ASF17 demonstrate that when laws regarding asylum and protection intersect with laws regarding character and protection of the community, the results can be extremely messy.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Globalizing the US Espionage Act: The Assange plea deal

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 01 July 2024

    Julian Assange, once confined to Britain’s most forbidding maximum-security prison, is now free after pleading guilty to a single conspiracy charge. This unexpected twist in the WikiLeaks saga, involving complex negotiations and political maneuvering, could have profound implications for press freedom and the future of journalism worldwide.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Building constitutional bridges: In conversation with Frank Brennan

    • David Halliday
    • 28 June 2024

    It's been eight months since the Voice referendum, and people are starting to grapple with what its defeat means for Australia. There are few voices in Australia as qualified to conduct a postmortem of the outcome of the Voice referendum campaign as Frank Brennan. We examine what lessons can be learned and crucually, whether there’s reason for hope for Indigenous constitutional recognition.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Commemorate or forget: Do we care enough about D-Day?

    • Geraldine Doogue
    • 18 June 2024

    I wonder how many Australians were captivated, as was I, by the 80th anniversary D-Day celebrations? They seemed epochal to me: a reminder of something remarkable and a pointer to something possible, namely new resolve to maintain peace in Europe. Not too many Australians, as it turned out, were similarly mesmerised. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The Sentencing of David McBride

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 11 June 2024

    Former Australian military lawyer David McBride was convicted for leaking documents to the ABC which exposed war crimes in Afghanistan. He is the sole individual to be convicted in exposing alleged atrocities in the Afghanistan campaign by Australian special forces. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    When safetyism leads

    • Julie Szego
    • 07 June 2024

    In response to campus protests, universities erred on the side of free speech when every other day, the prevailing ethos is one of ‘safetyism’, namely suppressing speech or inquiry if an identity group frames it as ‘harmful’ to them. Universities should strive to be uncomfortable and ‘unsafe’ for all, with no identity immune from robust scrutiny.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The plight of the Australian whistleblower

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 09 November 2023
    1 Comment

    Next week, former army lawyer David McBride will face trial, accused of leaking classified defence information. Meanwhile, the prospect of meaningful whistleblower reforms that would shield Australian public servants who contemplate exposing wrongdoing through the media seems remote.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Private gain, public pain? The real cost of consulting in government

    • David James
    • 13 September 2023
    1 Comment

    Investigations into KMPG's ties with Australia's Defence department highlight broader concerns about consulting firms' murky dealings with government. As corporate-public boundaries blur, accountability suffers, with ethical pursuits sidelined by power and profit drives.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Ellsberg's whistleblowing legacy

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 08 August 2023
    1 Comment

    Before WikiLeaks, Daniel Ellsberg's release of the Pentagon Papers exposed U.S. deceptions in the Vietnam War. His journey from defence analyst to whistleblower leaves a legacy that resonates today. In an era where transparency is often overshadowed by retaliation, Ellsberg's story stands as a sobering reminder of the cost of truth.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    AUKUS: Mirage or reality?

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 28 March 2023
    8 Comments

    Australia's decision to partner with the US and the UK for the AUKUS pact has drawn scrutiny with questions looming about acquisition, construction and delivery of the nuclear-propelled submarines and a projected $368 billion outlay for up to eight vessels. 

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  • RELIGION

    Queen Elizabeth, the language of Christianity, and the defence of faith

    • Miles Pattenden
    • 15 September 2022
    4 Comments

    The Queen’s life of overt public religion — which led her to become perhaps the twentieth century’s greatest Christian evangelist — was grounded in her conviction in the Gospels’ truth. And she interpreted Jesus’ story generously and ecumenically, broadening her role from the narrow Anglican identity of Supreme Governor of the Church of England to become an advocate by example for faiths of every kind.

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