Lifting our game in international affairs

Yesterday I was reelected to the council of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Institute of International Affairs which recently celebrated its centenary. In my remarks I stated that IMHO Australia is underperforming in the international arena as shown by the introspective National Defence Strategy of Denial, as a flawed statement that we should retire within a fortress Australia and withdraw from the leadership role we should be playing within the Indo-Pacific.

Australia has continued a regressive approach of fear of a massive invasive attack on our mainland when the reality of the 21st century is that what we should pay attention to is economic and other forms of coercion, disruption and disinformation to reduce our awareness and willingness to stand up for our values, freedoms and way of life that we choose to lead.

The AIIA must ensure its role in Australian leadership is strengthened and articulated to a wider audience - foreign and domestic. I commented that all Australian schools should teach Asian languages and conduct cultural exchanges and mentioned my granddaughter who studies Mandarin in her own time on Saturdays, and her second cousin who undertook a six-month exchange with a school in Japan. I also applauded the Northern Territory which includes Indonesian in their curricula.

All the hype in sports such as the Olympics where we punch above our weight et cetera should be demonstrated in economic, cultural, commercial and regional security domains. We have the knowledge and experienced people to do this - all we lack is the self-confidence to get out there and lead for the regional good.