CONTESTED GROUND: The Defence budget, inflationary pressures and domestic information warfare

Joint-capabilities
|
By: Robyn Tongol

The release and messaging surrounding the 2026 National Defence Strategy and 2026 Integrated Investment Program is just the latest salvo in the government’s effort to direct the national conversation about our national security.

The release and messaging surrounding the 2026 National Defence Strategy and 2026 Integrated Investment Program is just the latest salvo in the government’s effort to direct the national conversation about our national security.

With the government emphasising major increases in Defence spending over the next decade, the government is hoping that the headline figures and a lack of public understanding of Defence spending will be enough to convince the nation we’re doing enough to protect our interests.

Hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper deep dive into the current battle for control of the narrative and the unfolding strategies being leveraged to target various Australian demographics, with specific examples in the economic domain as Australians face increasing inflation and fuel insecurity despite what they’re being told.

The trio also unpack the latest announcements around the winds of change sweeping through the Department of Defence, with the recent appointments to chief of Defence, chief of Army and the appointment of the new secretary of Defence designed to emphasise the government’s priority areas: national resilience and sovereignty.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Defence Connect a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Defence Connect as a preferred news source.

Tags:

Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: PODCAST: Aerobatics, military aviation and Australian air shows, with Paul Bennet
Episode 10: CONTESTED GROUND: Australia and the West must ask themselves new questions in the face of the modern world, with Robbin Laird
Episode 9: PODCAST: Black Hawk capability, B-21 bomber debate, and upcoming budget
Episode 8: PODCAST: Supermarine Spitfire, warbird aviation and modern aerial innovation, with Keith Russell
Episode 7: PODCAST: Bushmaster PMV funding, long-range strike expansion and cyber defence
Episode 6: PODCAST: Space Command workforce expansion and operationalising the domain, with Major General Gregory Novak AM
Episode 5: SPOTLIGHT: Maritime sustainment, mission-ready maintenance and resilient fleet capability, with Serco’s David Astbury
Episode 4: PODCAST: Anzac Day reflections, veteran support reform and ADF workforce trends, with Minister Matt Keogh
Episode 3: SPOTLIGHT: Open-source growth across defence and national security, with SUSE CMO Margaret Dawson
Episode 2: CONTESTED GROUND: Shipping, supply chains and Australia’s exposure to a volatile system, with UNSW’s Professor Douglas Guilfoyle and Associate Professor Daniel Prior