EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
By Stephen Bunce,
Defence Writer,
WA DEFENCE REVIEW
&
Serge DeSilvaRanasinghe, Managing Editor,
WA DEFENCE REVIEW
NATIONAL SECURTIY AFFAIRS
THE HON KIM BEAZLEY: “MORE AND MORE FOCUS WILL COME ON TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA, OUR STRATEGIC CONCERNS, AND OUR STRATEGIC GEOGRAPHY.” In August WA DEFENCE REVIEW had the pleasure of visiting Government House to conduct an exclusive interview with the Governor of Western Australia, the Hon Kim Beazley AC. The Governor’s impressive experience and knowledge of defence and keen understanding of the complex strategic issues key to the peace and prosperity of Australia and the region, made for a fascinating and insightful conversation. How would you describe the circumstances of Australia’s present strategic challenges? Where are we at right now? Australia is facing a more difficult situation than we have seen for a very long time and must think through the requirements of our national security with a maturity that we have not had to before. In the 1930s when we were faced with a survival threat, we considered ourselves under the umbrella of the British Empire defence, so there wasn’t the same sort of pressure on the leadership of the country. It was very difficult for that threat to be conceptualised by those who had responsibility for Australia’s defence.
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If you look at what potential adversaries would want from Australia in the future, the North West has a massive proportion of high-value product for our neighbourhood - and further afield. It is a place you might consider seizing if we had no capability in this region to deter.
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EDITION 4 • 2021-22
Now, however, Australia is intellectually up to the challenge and thoroughly aware of the extent to which we ourselves must look after our concerns in the first instance. Australia needs to persist with allies, but we need to have a very close understanding of what we want from them and whether what we want from them is doable. If it’s not, then we need to think through what extra we need to do. What we must do is effectively deter. If we are going to effectively deter,
we need to demonstrate a capacity to meet all likely threats to us, and for any ally who chose to assist us to do something about it themselves. In practical terms that is to anticipate and be able to deal with the threat ourselves now, albeit with the help of the technologies and intelligence of your friends and allies. We need a deeper thought process about what it is that we need and where it ought to be dispersed to be able to achieve that deterrence.
World War II was the height of Australia’s awareness of the Indian Ocean’s importance – Australia’s navy deployed and lost a number of warships in the Indian Ocean and our connection to the British Empire was through this ocean. Do you think we are seeing a reawakening of Australian strategic consciousness of the Indian Ocean? To a degree, yes. Would it be the extent to which the strategic considerations justify? No. Every now and then you see it pop up with a Defence strategic update which looked at the major threats to Australia, and what parts of the country would be of prime significance to a potential enemy. Much of the threat perception revolved around the North West and it continues to. If you look at what potential adversaries would want from Australia in the future, the North West has a massive proportion of high-value product for our neighbourhood - and further afield. It is a place you might consider seizing if we had no capability in this region to deter.
