iscover
Anzac Day is widely held as the most sacred day in Australia’s national calendar. A day when the country comes together to commemorate the sacrifice of the nation’s best and brightest. But if we’re serious about honouring their sacrifice, the least we can do is take ourselves seriously.
Like many Australians, I was up early on Saturday morning to watch the Dawn Service, although this year was a little different, not least because of my rambunctious toddler who has been waking up well before dawn for the past few months, but mainly because of the state of abject chaos the world is currently in.
Saturday afternoon was spent having a family barbecue with my in-laws, niece and nephew, where as always, things turned to the state of affairs, both at home and abroad. Inevitably, we discussed the cost of living, fuel and of course, the other fallout from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Fast forward to Sunday evening and I had the chance to get out of the house and catch up with my three best mates from high school for dinner (yes we’re the real life “Inbetweeners”, no we’re not sorry), when the conversation again inevitably turned to how hard things had become and how unrecognisable the world and Australia had become.
It must be said that compared to me, both my in-laws and my best mates are largely politically disengaged outside of a niche issue here or there, but all touched on just how unserious Australia had become in the face of a world that was becoming increasingly serious.
Set against the backdrop of Anzac Day and it hit me, the best form of honouring the sacrifice of our nation’s best and bravest is to take ourselves seriously as a nation, something we seem incapable of doing in the current environment.
But what does serious mean?
Becoming the masters of our own destiny
In some ways, Australia has been both blessed and cursed by not having a concept akin to America’s “Manifest Destiny”. In one instance, it means we have avoided, to an extent, the overly negative and aggressive colonial expansionist claims for the new nation, on the other hand, it has served to deny the nation a unifying narrative to guide us in pursuing a national destiny.
This double-edged sword has, however, only served to damage us over the long-term and is largely the result of the nation’s colonial settler history and dependence on the British Empire until the Fall of Singapore and since then, the United States capturing the nation and its people in a state of arrested development.
And like the mosquitos trapped in ember, made famous in Jurassic Park, Australia’s sticky situation and lack of seriousness only serves to leave the nation in an increasingly vulnerable and precarious position and Australians are wondering why their leaders don’t seem to be taking matters seriously, after all, isn’t this what we elected them for?
First and foremost, it is clear that for Australians across a broad spectrum of contemporary life, they expect that our leaders should be taking serious matters seriously and plan accordingly. To many policymakers, it should have been clear during the very public and very visceral hysteria which gripped the Australian public during COVID-19, alas, that appears to be the opposite of the case.
Both the Australian government and Australian public seemed to have rapidly forgotten, leaving the nation lurching from one crisis to another as we see playing out before our eyes, with ongoing fuel security, inflation, cost-of-living, housing affordability, social cohesion issues and concerns about conflict at home and abroad.
Taking these into account, seriousness at the policy level means investing in ourselves over the long-term, shaking off the persistent nature of Australian politics that is increasingly shaped and dominated by short-term thinking responding to the media cycle. While at the public level it means long-term commitment and investment in the future of the nation, sticking to our guns while applying a degree of rigour when things don’t go to plan.
All of this also requires agility, allowing us to, in the immortal words of Muhammad Ali: “Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”. This would allow us to become the “masters of our own destiny” in a way never before experienced, and embracing our own “manifest destiny”.
Shifting outdated definitions
Australia needs to face a hard and uncomfortable truth: the old idea of a “middle power” no longer holds up, and on the new scale, we’re falling short. To stay relevant, we need a serious reset across both our economy and our defence posture.
On the economic front, the priority is clear. We have to move beyond the “holes and houses” model and build a resilient, competitive economy underpinned by a strong industrial base. That means a no-nonsense approach to policy – reliable, affordable energy, streamlined regulation and an industrial relations system that supports growth rather than stifles it. Get those fundamentals right and you restore confidence: businesses invest, workers gain stability and projects actually get off the ground.
But it also requires rebuilding trust between government, industry and the workforce after decades of drift. And we need to move past the half-hearted neoliberal approach that’s shaped the economy since the 1980s. Countries like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan didn’t just rely on natural advantages, they picked industries, backed them and built global strength.
For Australia, that means focusing on core industrial capabilities and future growth sectors, partnering with global players to build at scale locally and avoiding the trap of trying to compete with low-cost manufacturing giants in commodity goods. Instead, we should be moving up the value chain, driven by a stronger skills base, proper investment in vocational training, and the smart use of automation, AI and advanced manufacturing.
That industrial strength isn’t just about prosperity, it’s the foundation of national power.
Which brings us to defence.
If the economy needs a rebuild, the ADF needs a full workout. The scale of military expansion across the Indo-Pacific means Australia has to lift its game if it wants to be taken seriously. At a minimum, that means growing the full-time force to around 100,000 personnel, backed by a 50,000-strong reserve while cutting the top-heavy structure that leaves us with too many senior ranks and not enough capability at the sharp end.
Capability-wise, we need real investment in the tools of modern warfare: a larger and more capable surface fleet, faster progress on AUKUS and undersea systems, and a broader, more potent Air Force with a focus on air combat, long-range strike and the enablers that tie it all together.
But simply spending more isn’t enough, it has to be driven by a coherent strategy. The current focus on “deterrence by denial” doesn’t go far enough. Australia needs to prepare for a world where we may not be able to rely immediately on a great power partner and may need to stand on our own for extended periods.
That means shifting to a hybrid approach: real deterrence backed by the ability to contain and shape events across a vast area stretching from the eastern coast of Africa and the Middle East through south-east Asia, out to the Pacific, and from Antarctica up to Taiwan.
It’s a huge remit, but it reflects the reality of our strategic environment.
To deliver that, we also need to rethink how we build the force. The traditional model, contributing niche capabilities to larger coalitions won’t cut it. We need a more balanced, self-reliant force, drawing lessons from the strengths of the United States while consciously addressing vulnerabilities that potential adversaries are already targeting.
None of this will be quick or easy. There’s no silver bullet. Like getting properly fit, it’s going to take sustained effort, discipline and consistency. But if we get it right, Australia won’t just keep up, we’ll have the weight and credibility to shape our region, rather than be shaped by it.
Final thoughts
Look, I probably sound like a broken record, but the reality hasn’t shifted: Australia needs a serious wake-up call, and frankly, we needed it yesterday. We owe that to the next generation, our kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews who’ll inherit whatever we leave behind, whether it’s a mess or something we can actually be proud of.
After all, if we continue on the current trajectory, future generations will be nowhere near as privileged as what we are today; this alone is major failing of the past 40 years of public policymaking in Australia.
The hard truth is the world is moving much faster than our national conversation. We’re still thinking in ways that no longer match the strategic map. It’s time for a genuine reset in how Australia sees itself, our economy, our security and what we actually want to be in a region that’s getting more crowded and more contested by the day.
The Indo-Pacific isn’t just our “neighbourhood” anymore; it’s the global engine room and the main arena for strategic competition. And it’s not just about the big players like China or India. We’re seeing growing ambition from countries like Thailand and Vietnam, while established heavyweights such as Japan and South Korea are lifting their game.
This isn’t something off in the distance, it’s already the environment we’re operating in.
Australia’s national strategy is lagging behind. For too long, we’ve drifted, focused on the next election instead of the next generation. We’ve leaned on outdated habits and reactive policymaking that simply don’t hold up in a world where economic pressure is weaponised and technology is moving at pace.
If we keep drifting, the next generation could inherit a country that looks prosperous on paper but has very little say in what happens in its own region.
If we want to do more than just get by, we need to stop acting like passengers in our own neighbourhood. That means building genuine strategic autonomy. Not isolation, but the ability and self-assured confidence to act in our own interests, even when that means stepping beyond the boundaries of traditional relationships.
To get there, we need to focus on a few fundamentals:
- Economic and industrial resilience: we can’t just be a farm and a quarry. We need a modern, capable industrial base that can innovate and scale.
- Credible defence capability: “fit for purpose” isn’t enough. We need real weight – hard power that allows us to shape outcomes, not just watch them unfold.
- Sovereign competitiveness: government and industry need to be aligned behind a clear plan to secure supply chains and maintain a technological edge.
The pressures we’re facing aren’t theoretical, they’re happening now. Canberra has a choice: remain a polite bystander while others shape the Indo-Pacific or step up and play a meaningful role in defining it.
Marginal tweaks won’t cut it. We need the foresight to anticipate shocks and the ambition to lead. The next decade will determine whether Australia is an active player, or just something others compete over.
It’s time to make that call, because the best form of honouring the sacrifice of our forebears is to take ourselves and our future seriously.
Get involved with the discussion and let us know your thoughts on Australia’s future role and position in the Indo-Pacific region and what you would like to see from Australia’s political leaders in terms of partisan and bipartisan agenda setting in the comments section below or get in touch at
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
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