No Higher Priority

Over many decades federal governments have sought to deliver national security on the cheap, never spending a dollar more on defence than was deemed by officials as absolutely necessary. The result is that Australia has deeply underinvested in defence capability. This has occurred because of complacency in defence and policy circles, and the belief that Australia's major threats had receded following the end of the Cold War. The reality is, however, Australia's strategic outlook is rapidly worsening just as its ability to deter aggression and defend itself has been degraded. At this critical juncture, policymakers need to urgently transform and strengthen the combat capability of the Australian Defence Force in order to make the country more resilient, to enhance our influence regionally and globally, and to ensure we are better able to respond to strategic shocks. For this reason the IPA has published No Higher Priority: A blueprint for immediate action on Australia's defence 2025-2028, by defence experts Peter Jennings AO, Michael Shoebridge and Marcus Hellyer, with 36 recommendations the next federal government must adopt to actively drive a renewal of Australia's military power.