Policy, Guns & Money

In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Leanne Close, head of ASPI’s Counter-terrorism Program, speaks to Julia Ebner, Resident Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue in London and author of ‘Going Dark – the Secret Social Lives of Extremists’. They discuss right-wing extremism and Julia details her experiences going undercover to engage with extremist groups and individuals and shares her ideas on how governments can respond. Danielle Cave, Deputy Director of ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC), speaks to Analyst Alex Joske about his recent report ‘Hunting the Phoenix: The Chinese Communist Party’s global search for technology and talent’ on China’s global talent-recruitment programs. They talk about the scale of the programs and how governments can shape their policy responses. And ICPC Researcher Elise Thomas and Research Intern Albert Zhang provide a run-down on their latest report ‘Pro-Russian vaccine politics drives new disinformation narratives’, which looked at vaccin

In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Lisa Sharland speaks to Rob Malley, President and CEO of International Crisis Group, about conflicts during Covid-19 and prospects for peace in Afghanistan. They also discuss Crisis Group’s annual ‘10 Conflicts to Watch’, including what’s changed since the last edition, and what might feature in the next edition later this year. The Strategist’s Brendan Nicholson and Anastasia Kapetas discuss the recently released US Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Russian Interference in the 2016 Election and foreign interference in the US. (Hint - there was plenty) Finally, Tom Uren and John Coyne continue the conversation on Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020, where it falls short, and the challenges for policing cyber criminals. In this episode: Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Robert Malley: https://www.crisisgroup.org/who-we-are/people/robert-malley-0 Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Brendan Nicholson: http

In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Michael Shoebridge and Marcus Hellyer discuss the key findings of this years The Cost of Defence report which was launched this week. Traditionally the Cost of Defence is a single volume report, but for 2020 it's being released in two parts - this first part discusses the impacts of the Strategic Update 2020. Bart Hogeveen and Tom Uren from ICPC, the ASPI International Cyber Policy Centre, review the recently released Australian Cyber Security Strategy 2020 document and consider the implications of it's directions. (Spoiler alert - the document gets a 5.5/10 from Tom and Bart!) ASPI Research Interns Daria Impiombato and Alex Pascoe finish this episode with their thoughts on the global rumblings around popular social media app, TikTok. In this episode: The Cost of Defence report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/cost-defence-2020-2021-part-1-aspi-2020-strategic-update-brief Michael Shoebridge: Director, Defence and Strategy. https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoe

This week, Kelsey Munro speaks to Charles Edel, Senior Fellow and Visiting Scholar at Sydney University’s United States Studies Centre about US-China tensions and the US policy approaches towards China. They discuss how the strong rhetoric on China coming out of Washington offers a distraction from US domestic political failings ahead of the upcoming elections. Brendan Nicholson and The Strategist’s new National Security Editor Anastasia Kapetas offer their thoughts on the ASPI conference thus far, and some of the key takeaways from the discussions on the United States and China and where the world might be headed. Leanne Close speaks to Sofia Patel, PhD candidate at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London and non-resident ASPI fellow, about her research into the gender aspects of terrorism and how this can inform counter-terrorism policy approaches, something she wrote about in this year’s Counterterrorism Yearbook. In this episode: Kelsey Munro: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/kelsey-munro

This week on Policy, Guns and Money, Michael Shoebridge, ASPI’s Director of Defence, Strategy and National Security, and Dr Robert Glasser, Visiting Fellow at ASPI, discuss the current Covid-19 situation globally, the successful and failing responses and the challenges ahead across the globe. Senior ICPC Analyst Kelsey Munro speaks to Researcher Nathan Ruser about his use of satellite imagery analysis in his research on areas such as Xinjiang and the China-India border and how he became interested in this type of research tool. And Senior Analyst Dr Huong Le Thu is joined by Colonel Raymond Powell, who recently concluded his post as US Defence Attaché in Canberra. Colonel Powell offers some reflections on the highs and lows of his Australian posting and thoughts on the US-Australia alliance. In this episode: Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Kelsey Munro: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/kelsey-munro Nathan Ru

This week on Policy, Guns & Money, Tom Uren, Senior ASPI ICPC Analyst, speaks to Sean Duca, Vice President and Regional Chief Security Officer for Asia Pacific & Japan at Palo Alto Networks about ASPI’s ‘Clean Pipes’ report. They discuss how internet service providers can do more to protect users from online threats that hurt the Australian community and economy. ICPC colleagues Louisa Bochner and Elise Thomas discuss the future for tech companies operating in Hong Kong and the challenges they are facing as the Great Firewall approaches. And Brendan Nicholson, Executive Editor of The Strategist, speaks to Michael Shoebridge, ASPI’s Director of Defence, Strategy and National Security, about the increasing value being placed on trust globally and China’s trust account with the world. In this episode: Report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/clean-pipes-should-isps-provide-more-secure-internet Tom Uren: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/tom-uren Sean Duca: @SeanDuca (Twitter) Louisa Bochner: https://www.aspi.org.

In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Dr John Coyne, Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement at ASPI and Tom Uren, Senior Analyst with ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre discuss the legal dilemma of conducting offensive cyber operations. Next, Senior Analyst Dr Huong Le Thu speaks to Ja Ian Chong, Visiting Scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute and Associate Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore about the recent Singapore elections, why the results were a surprise for some and what the results mean for Singapore’s foreign policy in the years ahead. And Dr Paul Barnes, Head of ASPI’s Risk and Resilience Program speaks to Mavis Depaune and Monte Depaune, environmental experts and PhD candidates at the University of Wollongong, about disaster prevention and resilience in the Pacific and the implementation of the Sendai Framework in Nauru, which they wrote about in ASPI’s recent report ‘A Pacific disaster prevention review’. Mentioned in this episode: R

In this special episode of Policy, Guns and Money, ASPI’s Executive Director, Peter Jennings talks to Australian Walkley award winning journalist and ASPI Senior Fellow, Stan Grant and they turn their minds to the upcoming ASPI conference, Strategic Vision 2020. Stan talks about his delight at the incredible line-up of global leaders the conference has in store, and how he is preparing for the in-depth discussions he will facilitate as conference host over the course of four weeks. Peter and Stan consider the big, strategic challenges Australia and the world are facing, as we endure the global pandemic, a probable global depression and changes to the global order. Listen to the discussion now, prepare your questions for our guests and register for the conference here: https://www.aspi.org.au/event/strategic-vision-2020-aspi-conference-series The ASPI conference series, Strategic Vision 2020, begins next week – delivered live & online – all available for free! Simply register for the sessions you wish t

In this special episode of Policy, Guns and Money, we continue the conversation on cloud computing. Michael Shoebridge and John Coyne, co-authors of ASPI’s recent report ‘National security agencies and the cloud: An urgent capability issue for Australia’, are joined by Oracle’s Kirsty Linehan and Nathan Cook, experts in cloud computing, for an in-depth discussion on cloud computing in Australia’s national security infrastructure. Report https://www.aspi.org.au/report/national-security-agencies-and-cloud-urgent-capability-issue-australia Webinar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoZLku4p9C4&t=7s Michael Shoebridge https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Dr John Coyne https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/john-coyne Kirsty Linehan https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstyalinehan/?originalSubdomain=au Nathan Cook https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathancook2/?originalSubdomain=au

In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, ICPC Program Coordinator, Louisa Bochner speaks to Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, China reporter at Axios, about the Hong Kong security law, Article 38 and the application of the law and what this latest move from Beijing means for its relations with the US, Australia and other democracies. Next, two of ASPI’s grumpy strategists Marcus Hellyer and Malcolm Davis chat about the 2020 Defence Strategic Update, including what’s new in the update, what it means for the Department of Defence budget and where it falls short. And finally, Tom Uren and Fergus Ryan from ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre discuss the role of China’s ‘wolf warrior’ diplomats on Twitter and their attempt to shape global discourse, and the desire among Chinese citizens to jump the Great Firewall and access the banned platform. Mentioned in the episode: Conference: https://www.aspi.org.au/event/strategic-vision-2020-aspi-conference-series Guests in this episode: Louisa Bochner: https://ww

In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, ASPI Researcher Genevieve Feely speaks to gender equality and social inclusion expert Amy Haddad about multilateralism to mark the 75th anniversary UN, the challenges ahead and opportunities for UN reform and changes in gender equality at the UN. ASPI Senior Analyst Jake Wallis and Analyst Samantha Hoffman discuss their recent report 'Retweeting through the Great Firewall' and how they went about analysing 170,000 twitter accounts to uncover the influence operation which largely targeted Chinese speaking communities outside of mainland China. ASPI Journalist Fellow Graeme Dobell and Peter Edwards discuss the evolution of Australian intelligence agencies and why, following the establishment of the Department of Home Affairs, there should be an inquiry into the intelligence agencies similar to those conducted by Justice Robert Hope in the 1970s and 1980s. In this episode: Report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/retweeting-through-great-firewall Genevieve Feely: http

The 2020 Defence Strategic Update with Peter Jennings and Brendan Nicholson Four years on from the 2016 Defence White Paper, the Department of Defence has delivered a 2020 Defence Strategic Update. In this special episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Brendan Nicholson, Executive Editor at The Strategist discusses the update with ASPI’s Executive Director Peter Jennings. Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Background music: "Glitching a Ride" by The Whole Other via the You Tube Audio Library.

In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, ASPI's Michael Shoebridge speaks to Shashank Joshi, Defence editor at The Economist about the recent India-China border tensions at Galwan Valley, the risk of further escalations, the politicisation of casualties and the impacts on the strategic relationship between India and China. Research intern Tracy Beattie speaks to Senior Analyst Malcolm Davis about the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's destruction of the joint liaison office in Kaesong, the role of Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-Jong and the US response to the situation. And ICPC Program Coordinator Louisa Bochner speaks to Analyst Alex Joske about his latest report 'The party speaks for you' which looks at China's united front system of overseas influence and interference operations in politics and diaspora communities. Mentioned in this episode: Webinar: https://app.livestorm.co/aspi/unraveling-the-chinese-communist-partys-overseas-influence-united-front-work-from-au

In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Kelsey Munro speaks to James Leibold and Emile Dirks, authors of ASPI’s report; ‘Genomic surveillance – Inside China’s DNA dragnet’ about China’s national campaign of compulsory DNA data collection, the world’s largest police-run DNA database. James and Emile discuss/highlight how multinational companies and major Chinese companies are enabling the Chinese police in building this database. ASPI Executive Director Peter Jennings speaks to Clive Hamilton about his and Mareike Olhberg’s new book ‘Hidden Hand’. The book discusses the covert techniques used by the CCP for its influence and interference operations within universities, big business, think tanks and in diplomatic service. And Dr Huong Le Thu talks to Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Professor at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science in Bangkok about his report: ‘Thailand’s strategic drift – Domestic determinants amidst superpower competition’. They discuss authoritarianism, military coups, the new m

In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, ASPI researcher Genevieve Feely speaks to Robert Baird, English Editor at Tatoli News, about recent political developments in Timor-Leste, including the challenge of a failed state budget, and the country’s Covid-19 response. Senior Analyst Kelsey Munro speaks to the Director of ASPI’s Defence, Strategy and National Security Program, Michael Shoebridge about the protests in Hong Kong and the United States, the parallels and differences between the two protests and what this means in the context of the global contest between authoritarianism and democracy. And Leanne Close, head of ASPI’s Counter-terrorism Program, speaks to Steven Casstevens, President of the International Association of the Chiefs of Police about police reform in the United States in light of the current protests and how the systemic issues can be addressed to rebuild trust and support between police and their communities. In this episode: Steven Casstevens: https://twitter.com/stevecasstevens

In this week's episode of Policy, Guns and Money, two of our (moderately) grumpy strategists Drs Malcolm Davis and Marcus Hellyer bring you a wide-ranging update on maritime and space issues – they discuss Marcus’ recent report on offshore patrol vessels and improving maritime capability, the recently released DST 2030 strategic plan, SpaceX launches and more! Next, ASPI Researcher and India expert Aakriti Bachhawat speaks to Nathan Ruser, Researcher with ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre. They discuss the recent standoff between China and India over the line of actual control and touch on Nathan’s satellite imagery analysis of recent developments. Finally, Research Interns Alexandra Pascoe and Daria Impiombato talk about the impact of Covid-19 on the European Union and how the European Union can overcome this crisis collectively. They discuss the EU’s plan for economic recovery and how the establishment of the proposed EU Recovery Fund could strengthen the union. In this episode: Report: https:

In this episode of ‘Policy, Guns and Money’, Lisa Sharland, head of ASPI’s International Program, speaks to Major General Cheryl Pearce, Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. 29 May is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, and Lisa speaks to Cheryl about her experiences as Force Commander of a peacekeeping mission, the impact of Covid-19 on the mission and the importance of women in peacekeeping. Next, Leanne Close, Head of ASPI’s Counter-terrorism Program, spoke to Professor Boaz Ganor about some of the key findings from his recent ASPI report ‘Terrorism is Terrorism’, including some of his recommendations to intelligence and law enforcement agencies working in counter-terrorism. Finally, Senior Analyst Dr Huong Le Thu spoke to Penny Burtt, Group CEO of AsiaLink at the University of Melbourne about the response to Covid-19 from ASEAN nations, information-sharing in the region and ASEAN’s effectiveness in managing the Covid-19 crisis. In this episode: Report: Terroris

In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Peter Jennings, Executive Director of ASPI, speaks with Isaiya Kabira, Kenya's High Commissioner to Australia about the significance of Africa Day and Africa's progress since the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. They talked about the impacts of Covid-19 in Africa and also discussed Australia's relationship with Kenya and Australia's ties to Africa more broadly. Next, Brendan Nicholson, Executive Editor of The Strategist speaks to Claire Ireland, Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, about Australia and Nigeria's bilateral interests and the evolution of Australia's relationship with Africa. And to close, Lisa Sharland, Head of ASPI's International Program, interviewed journalist and filmmaker Santilla Chingaiipe about the African diaspora in Australia and how different communities have been affected by Covid-19. In this episode: Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Isaiya Kabira: https://www.kenya.asn.au/copy

In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money Kelsey Munro, ASPI Senior Analyst, speaks to Charles Edel, Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, about the current tensions between Australia and China and the US-China relationship in the Covid era. Then, ASPI Researcher Geneveieve Feely speaks to Nikki Marczak from the University of Queensland’s Asia Pacific Centre for The Responsibility to Protect about the impact of Covid-19 in conflict-affected areas and the risk of atrocity crimes. Finally, research interns Alexandra Pascoe, Albert Zhang and Hal Crichton-Standish talk about climate change and Covid-19 and how the crisis provides an opportunity for climate action going forward. In this episode: Kelsey Munro https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/kelsey-munro Charles Edel https://www.ussc.edu.au/people/charles-edel Geneveieve Feely https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/genevieve-feely Nikki Marczak https://polsis.uq.edu.au/profile/4244/nikki-marczak Alexandra Pascoe https://www.aspi.org.au/

The fourth and final episode of ‘Australia’s Next Steps’ examines the future of the global supply chain. Host Michael Shoebridge, Director of Defence, Strategy, and national security Program at ASPI, talks to Louise McGrath, General Manager for International Competitiveness with the Australian Industry Group, and Pieter Els, Oracle’s Director of Supply Chain Management Cloud solutions in the Japan and Asia-Pacific region. The conversation examines the impact of the pandemic and finds that the resilience of our supply chains have proven themselves throughout the crisis, while also presenting an opportunity to learn from the lessons of the past few months and build our supply chains more flexibly. Throughout the episode what is revealed is a story of strength and adaptability, not weakness. Australia’s Next Steps is brought to you by Oracle.