ASPI Podcast: Policy, Guns & Money

“Too big to fail.” How’s that for a bit of pressure on the AUKUS partnership on its first birthday? Today on Policy, Guns and Money. ASPI executive director Justin Bassi speaks with Becca Wasser, Defence Fellow and head of The Gaming Lab at the Center for a New American Security. Becca says AUKUS is such an essential show of commitment between friends and allies, that its failure would mean the fa...

On 8 September, ASPI hosted the event ‘Beyond the sandpit: Counterterrorism and resilience in an age of strategic competition’. The event focused on how we can translate the lessons and gains of the GWOT into a forward-looking, resilience-focused approach that ensures continued support and engagement with Afghan civil society while also addressing long-term security and stability concerns. Followi...

In this week’s episode of Policy, Guns & Money, we start with Ulie Yildirim’s conversation about continuity and change in war with Professor Beatrice Heuser, Chair of International Relations at the University of Glasgow. Professor Heuser this week delivered the 2022 J.G. Grey Oration at the Australian War College. She and Ulie discuss her oration message, that we need to rethink many of our longst...

Fergus Hanson speaks to Manuel Muñiz, Provost of IE University and Professor of Practice in International Relations, and former State Secretary at the Spanish Foreign Ministry about how emerging technologies are affecting employment, global leadership and social and economic inequality. They explore the way these systemic inequalities are playing out internationally, and how democratic and authori...

In this special episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Dr Marcus Hellyer speaks to Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR and Anduril Industries and Dr Shane Arnott, Anduril Industries’ Chief Engineer. They discuss defence industry, improving defence procurement, and bringing a Silicon Valley approach to deliver capabilities faster. Guests (in order of appearance): Dr Marcus Hellyer: https://www.aspi.org...

Today is an important day for Ukraine, as the country marks the 31st anniversary of independence from Soviet rule. It is also six months since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, with no end in sight. In this special episode, ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi asks Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko about the current situation in the conflict, shifts in momentum, internationa...

Katja Theodorakis speaks to Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at FDD, about Iran’s military power and how the country is investing in asymmetric capabilities. They also discuss the challenges posed by anti-status quo powers and Iran’s deterrence strategy. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Albanese and Deputy Prime Minister Marles announced that there would be a Defence Strategic Review focused on...

This week marks a significant milestone for the Policy, Guns & Money team - our 150th episode! We'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback via podcast@aspi.org.au, thanks! As Australia’s space sector grows and continues to build significant sovereign capabilities, optimising the links between commercial and national security space is critical. Bec Shrimpton speaks to Adam Gilmour, CEO and Founder...

On 13 July, Australia’s Deputy prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles formally opened the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Washington DC office. In what is Australia’s first defence and national security think tank to open an overseas office, we were thrilled to have Minister Marles join ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi and the inaugural Washington DC director Mark Watson...

In this episode, ASPI’s Bec Shrimpton speaks to Admiral Mike Rogers, former Director of the U.S. National Security Agency and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and current member of CyberCX’s Global Advisory Board. They consider how the U.S. and its allies have progressed in addressing cyber challenges, and the need for increased industry and government collaboration to solve the problems that tech...

Recently, we saw the third and final launch of a NASA rocket from Australia’s Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory – the first successful sub-orbital rocket launch from an Australian commercial centre, and the first commercial launch ever by NASA outside of the United States. ASPI’s resident space-wonks Bec Shrimpton and Dr Malcolm Davis discuss the significance of these launches, what it...

Last week, it was the 25th anniversary of the British handover of Hong Kong, and China’s President Xi Jinping travelled to Hong Kong to mark the occasion. Dr Alex Bristow speaks to Primrose Riordan about the significance of the anniversary, the changes she has seen in Hong Kong over her time reporting from the city and the continuing impacts of the crackdown on dissent and the Hong Kong National S...

This week on Policy, Guns and Money, we are delighted to be joined by Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former President of Estonia, for a conversation on Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi asks Toomas about Western and NATO unity in support of Ukraine and the implications of the war for democracies and global security, including in the Indo-Pacific. They also discuss cyber c...

This week on Policy, Guns and Money, Brendan Nicholson speaks to Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Cambodia’s Minister delegate attached to the PM for Foreign Affairs and ASEAN. They discuss ASEAN’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine, Australia’s relationship with Cambodia, ASEAN’s stance on Myanmar and the expansion of the Ream naval base. This week, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard...

To kick off the episode, Dr Alex Bristow speaks to ASPI newcomer Bec Shrimpton, who will head up this year’s Sydney Dialogue. They discuss the strategic threats Australia faces, including the challenges posed by emerging tech, and the Australia-China relationship. With so much of our data online, and a growing reliance on technology in our daily lives, we are left vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Karl...

This week, ASPI released the 21st edition of its annual ‘Cost of Defence’ budget brief, which is Australia’s most comprehensive analysis of Defence spending. Michael Shoebridge speaks to the report’s lead author Dr Marcus Hellyer about the biggest areas of spending for Defence and challenges for the Department, as well as the difficult choices the new government faces given supply chain disruption...

Anastasia Kapetas and Kyle Wilson take a look at Russia’s history, use of propaganda and how Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was consistent with the evolution of his rule over the past two decades. Dr Jacob Wallis and Dr Samantha Hoffman discuss China’s messaging around the conflict in Ukraine. They consider the messaging by China’s diplomats and Chinese state media at different stages of the conflict...

The floods in South-East Queensland and New South Wales earlier this year were some of the most extreme disasters in Australian history, with the Insurance Council of Australia highlighting the event as the country’s costliest flood ever. Dr Robert Glasser speaks to Dr Annika Dean about recent analysis by the Climate Council on the links between climate change and extreme weather events and insura...

With the Quad Leaders set to meet in Tokyo next Tuesday, this episode explores the security and foreign policies of Australia’s Quad partners, India and Japan. Justin Bassi speaks to India expert Dr Tanvi Madan about India’s perspectives on key strategic issues, including the China-Russia partnership and regional security challenges in South Asia. The conversation highlights opportunities for the...

In this episode of ASPI’s Bigger Picture series, Dr Alex Bristow, Deputy Director of Defence, Strategy & National Security at ASPI, speaks to Dr Euan Graham, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies about the security pact between China and Solomon Islands. Their conversation considers China’s strategic objectives, the differe...

In April this year, a coalition of over 60 countries released ‘A Declaration for the Future of the Internet’, a joint partnership that aims to actively support the internet as an open, free, global digital ecosystem. Karly Winkler, Jocelinn Kang and Bart Hogeveen discuss what the declaration means for human rights, sustainable development and the democratic systems of countries. On 12th and 13th M...

This is Policy, Guns and Money, the ASPI podcast, with me, Olivia Nelson. As Russia continues its attack on Ukraine, ASPI’s Dr David Engel and Radityo Dharmaputra, PhD researcher at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu, consider the public response to the conflict in Indonesia and how anti-Western sentiment and Russian propaganda have shaped people’s views. No...

Recently, Peter Jennings spoke to Victorian Senator James Paterson, who Chairs the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. They discuss the Committee's recent inquiry into national security risks affecting Australia's higher education and research sectors, the Senator's role as Chair, and Australia's foreign interference laws. Dr John Coyne and Gill Savage from ASPI’s Northern...

In this episode of ASPI’s Bigger Picture series, Peter Jennings speaks to Dr David Kilcullen, Professor of International and Political Studies at UNSWCanberra. They discuss the global implications of the continued conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the state of Afghanistan since the withdrawal of international forces, and the future of Australia’s defence capability versus meeting its current sh...

In this episode of ASPI’s Bigger Picture series, Fergus Hanson speaks to India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator, Lt Gen (Dr) Rajesh Pant. They discuss the evolution of Australia-India cyber partnership, the cybersecurity threat landscape in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and India’s national security policies on 5G. Lt Gen (Dr) Rajesh Pant is India’s National Cybersecurity Coordinator...