Since 1911 the Australian Commonwealth has held a census 18 times, each one a different picture of our growing nation. But the census we completed this week had a unique question. For the first time, it asked Australians: have you served in the Australian Defence...
Andrew Hastie
Diggers to fight on digital front
Tuesday 10th Aug 2021
The Australian Defence Force has adopted a new digital battle space strategy and modern warfare posture to advance the country’s preparedness for combat and “grey-zone tactics” aimed at undermining and penetrating the nation’s defences. Facing a decade of...
Military reminded core business is to use ‘lethal violence’ to defend Australia’s values and sovereignty
Wednesday 14th Apr 2021
Assistant Defence Minister Andrew Hastie has told military personnel their “core business” will always be the “application of lethal violence” and warned “mission clarity” is vital to their work. Key points: Senior government figures said Mr Hastie’s message closely...
Opinion: Tariffs, Toxic Tweets & Tough Talk
Friday 11th Dec 2020
The People’s Republic of China has tested Australia’s resolve over the last few weeks. Tariffs, toxic tweets and tough talk from so-called wolf warrior diplomats are designed to make us blink. We haven’t. Our Prime Minister has resisted economic coercion and...
Opinion: Andrew Hastie – Difficult Days Lie Ahead
Saturday 5th Dec 2020
Threats to Australia are increasingly complex. As the Prime Minister warned us on 1 July at the launch of the Defence Strategic Update: “Coercive activities are rife. Disinformation and foreign interference have been enabled and accelerated by new and...
Andrew Hastie – SAS must put honour before glory
Tuesday 24th Nov 2020
‘Grieved’ and ‘shamed’ by the Brereton report, soldier turned federal MP Andrew Hastie says ‘we ignored the true nature of war and sanitised it’. Read this extract from his article printed in The Australian 24th November 2020 “I served in the SAS for the next five...