Contested Ground

While Australia's level of political atomisation is far from as bad as what is being experienced in the broader Western world, we're not far-off. How we engage with generations of Australians will have dramatic ramifications for our national security in the immediate and longer term. Following mounting political tensions across the Western world, with startling examples in the United Kingdom in re...

As Australia faces a populist political surge and the established political parties continue to lose ground, can Australia's "sensible" centre hold, or will decades of failed policies, broken promises and declining economic opportunities finally come home to roost? In a departure from its usual international focus, Contested Ground turns to domestic tensions sparked by the federal budget. The host...

Host Steve Kuper is joined by former navy logistician Dave Grosvenor and chair of the Gravity Group Steve Hayes for a wide-ranging discussion on Australia's sovereign capability, industrial resilience and the growing gap between strategic risk and national preparedness in this episode of the Contested Ground podcast. The conversation opens with a blunt assessment of Australia's strategic vulnerabi...

When Opposition Leader Angus Taylor announced a Coalition government would develop and implement a national security strategy, many shouted, "Finally!", but delivering a strategy that is fit for purpose is more political than most would think.   Since the release of the nation's first whole-of-nation national security strategy in 2013, successive Australian governments have sought to mask the nati...

When the leaders of the world's two major powers meet, the world stops to take notice and nowhere is this clearer than in the recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. There is no escaping the fact that the US–China relationship will be the defining factor of the 21st century, for good or for ill. Join Contested Ground hosts, Steve Kuper and Major Ge...

Each and every day, the world is becoming more unpredictable, yet Australia continues with the post-Cold War status quo. As things continue to deteriorate, we're going to have to ask ourselves some particularly confronting questions. Australia and its allies are entering an "age of chaos" in which the assumptions that shaped the post-Cold War order are rapidly breaking down. Rather than dealing wi...

The release and messaging surrounding the 2026 National Defence Strategy and 2026 Integrated Investment Program is just the latest salvo in the government's effort to direct the national conversation about our national security. With the government emphasising major increases in Defence spending over the next decade, the government is hoping that the headline figures and a lack of public understan...

We are consistently reminded that Australia is a maritime trading nation and, as such, is exposed to all the vulnerabilities. So why haven't we prepared accordingly? As the ceasefire in the Middle East collapses and both sides begin to once again ramp up their efforts to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz and the globally sensitive waterway, Australia is reminded of its inherent vulnerabilit...

The war in the Middle East has served to reveal the now metastising vulnerabilities that permeate Australia's economic, political and strategic ecosystems, leaving the nation and its interests exposed. Australians are increasingly getting the sense that the country is rudderless, struggling to overcome the mounting swell that is serving to swamp our seemingly ill-prepared national "boat". In the l...

Australia has long prided itself on being the "Lucky Country", celebrating a culture of "she'll be right" now that a national culture of apathy is biting at home as the world continues to burn. As the war in the Middle East continues to rage by the day, Australia and Australians are beginning to feel the very real ramifications in our daily lives. All of this comes as Australia's political leaders...

In this episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Steve Kuper and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson unpack the concept of sovereign industrial capability and its growing importance amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The trio explore how the idea of sovereignty has evolved from a defence-specific concept into a broader national priority, particularly as global s...

What does the war in Iran have to do with Australian housing? Potentially, everything. In this bold episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, Phillip Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and leading real estate commentator Tom Panos unpack one of the most overlooked questions in Australia right now: how escalating conflict in the Middle East could reshape the nation's property market....

In this episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, host Phil Tarrant sits down with co-host Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson to unpack the second-order effects of the ongoing Middle East conflict – and what it could mean for Australia's security environment. The latest Contested Ground Podcast explores how the Middle East conflict could affect Australia, with a focus on cyber disinformation...

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, host Steve Kuper speaks with financial intelligence expert and author, Keith Bulfin as they unpack the intricacies of the global financial systems and the weaponisation of the institutions by organised crime, terrorist and state-backed networks. The pair discuss a range of subjects including the ramifications of lax regulation and enforcement, that...

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast miniseries following the outbreak of the latest conflict in the Middle East, hosts Steve Kuper and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson are joined by Air Vice-Marshal (Ret'd) John Blackburn AO to discuss the implications of the Iran conflict on Australia's energy system. The trio begin by discussing the Australian government's rhetoric around the...

In this episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson, and Steve Kuper discuss the immediate aftermath of the US–Israeli strikes against Iran and the ramifications for Australia. The trio lays the foundation for a mini-series of focused podcast conversations over the coming weeks to address the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle Eas...

In this episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, hosts Steve Kuper and Liam Garman speak with Agsecure's Andrew Henderson as they unpack the recently released US food security strategy. The trio unpack the details underpinning the pivot in American thinking resulting in the development of the food security strategy. They also discuss the key priorities and focus areas identified in the food securi...

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Steve Kuper and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson are joined by Dr Malcolm Davis, Australian Strategic Policy Institute defence strategy and capability senior analyst, to unpack the strategic shockwaves emerging from the United States' 2026 National Defense Strategy. The trio examine what Washington's shift towards an offshore balancing postu...

In this episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson, and Steve Kuper discuss the fallout from the US' arrest of Nicolas Maduro, America's claims to Greenland, and the potential for regime change in Iran. The trio unpack the success and complexities of the US' raid in Venezuela and the intricacies surrounding the mission, the fallout of the...

In this episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson, and Steve Kuper discuss the Australian government's legislative efforts to combat anti-Semitism, hatred, and violent extremism in Australia. The trio unpack the legislative proposal and political considerations that have shaped the Albanese government's Combating Anti-Semitism, Hate and E...

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, co-host Steve Kuper and returning co-host Liam Garman unpack the fallout of the American special forces raid in Venezuela. The pair also discuss the broader global ramifications emerging as a result of the American direct action in Latin America, including:  The real motivations behind America's raid and why simple claims of regime change or pursuit...

In this solemn episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper discuss the immediate aftermath of the Bondi Beach terror attack. The trio discuss the terrorist shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, Sydney, which resulted in at least 15 deaths and over 40 injuries. They also tackle the implications of the targeted an...

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson are joined by special guest Dr Ross Babbage, chief executive officer of Strategic Forum and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington DC. Together, the trio dive into Australia's rapidly shifting strategic landscape, the pressures sha...

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and new co-host, Steve Kuper, detail the intricacies of the proposed Russia–Ukraine peace deal announced by US President Donald Trump. The trio also unpack three emerging security issues: a proposed Russia–Ukraine peace deal, heightened Chinese activity in the northern Pacific, and suspect...

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Liam Garman, and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson unpack two unfolding challenges shaping Australia's strategic outlook, an Iran-linked cyber breach exposing sensitive defence data, and China's latest move to outmanoeuvre Canberra in the Pacific. The discussion opens with the major cyber breach linked to Iran-aligned acto...