Problems and Tensions in
Australia’s National Interests
Ron Anderson
SEV Student lectures
August 2011
Main focus of this talk
Two general sources of tension in AFP
1. the basic transition in AFP
2. Contradictions between component
elements of AFP
Main historical themes
(old – now out of date?)
1.Threat mentality (note change from past
exaggerated threat perception to a more rational
threat perception)
2. Vulnerability assumptions- feelings among A
that we are at risk
3. Regional suspicion –we’re suspicious of the
region; the region is suspicious of Australia.
4. Dependence assumptions – need for a strong
and powerful alliance with a major western
power
Since the ’70s Aust. has moved
FROM
TO
New foreign policy
Traditional foreign policy
* Rational threat mentality
• Exaggerated threat mentality No direct immediate threat
- vulnerability
* Regional independence
* cultural and racial xenophobia
* Aust. can operate in the
* regional fears & vulnerability
region by itself
* Dependence
* greater independence
Policies
Policies
* strong ties to Europe
* engagement with Asia
* US alliance
* defence self reliance
* isolation in Asia
* regional independence
* regional security through
assertion of power in
reliance on Western power
Pacific
* forward defence
* US alliance more global
* economic ties with Europe
* regional trade
Aspects of this transition
1. It is incomplete – sections of Australians
have not made this transition – they’re
still in the old xenophobic phase
Hansonites; Anti- asylum seekers, Sydney
‘shock jocks’, Bolt
2. Some groups have gone further in the
transition – more internationalist in
orientation – the Greens
Effect: broader policy spectrum
Centrist acceptance of this
transition
3. Considerable bipartisanship between the main
parties – basic agreement over National interest;
US alliance
BUT
Difference in emphasis between them
Lib/coalition – primacy on security & alliance, +
economic growth
ALP and Greens – greater emphasis on
internationalism
but not at expense of security or economic
growth
What is National Interest?
Security
Sector
Sociocultural
Sector
Protect &
enhance
basic way
of life
Economic
Sector
Components of National Interest
1. Direct Security
2. Regional Stability
3. Global Stability
4. Economic Prosperity and development
5. Internationalist goals
See table in accompanying notes
Except for 5. these are clearly aspects which are
essential to maintain Aust.’s sovereignty and
way of life
1. Direct Security
Basic elements - mainland security; border protection;
control of key strategic zones
Policies & aspects
- defence self reliance - adequate defence forces for
detection, deterrence and direct mainland defence;
- Strategic surveillance – Cocos and Christmas Islands –
for Indian Ocean surveillance
- Strong intelligence networks – advance knowledge of
‘threats’
- maintain stability in key strategic zones –’Island Screen’
modern technological military equipment
- Deterrence through collective security pacts – ANZUS
- Strong regional diplomatic ties to detect or prevent
‘problems – terrorists, ‘asylum seekers’
2. Regional Stability & Security
Basic Elements
- stability in SW Pacific; South East Asia; Asia generally
Policies and Aspects:
- military capability intervene without sacrificing direct defence –
naval power projection - Fiji; Solomons etc
- Strong influence (aid & diplomacy) on vulnerable micro states
in SW Pacific, and PNG – significant aid to PNG;
- control of Pacific Forum;
- Strong and positive regional ties with neighbours – Indonesia
SEA nations.
- Sufficient force projection to deter, counter-attack any potential
regional attack
- ‘Howard Doctrine’ – Australia to act to provide regional stability
as ‘deputy’ to the US
3. Global Stability & Security
Basic Elements: maintain peaceful core global
relationships esp. with core allies
Policies & Aspects:
- US alliance A. tied to US global positions
(i) core socio-cultural assumptions – democracy etc.
(ii) defence ties - equipment, intelligence, training
(iii) expectation of ANZUS - Aust. defence if required
- ‘Traditional’ support for US wars - Korea Vietnam
wars; Gulf war 1 1990; Iraq; Afghanistan
- Strengthened under Howard govt.: invocation of
ANZUS after Sept. 11; War on Terror
- anti- weapons of mass destruction– Nuclear non
proliferation treaty (NNPT) ban on atmospheric
testing etc: active in Chemical Weapons Treaty
4. Economic Devel. & Prosperity
1. A’s wealth depends on exports and commodity prices
2. Therefore reliance on
(i) exports - from Farm to Quarry.
- importance of export prices and access
(ii) energy sources – esp. oil directly & to trading partners
(iii) trade routes
2. Importance of neo-liberalist views (since early ’80s under
Hawke) – deregulation, and integration into global environment
(acceptance of Globalisation)
3. Preference for free markets- few subsidies, tariffs and quotas
4. support for ‘Cairns group’ (1988), APEC, GATT (since 1947)
World Trade Organisation
- bilateral free trade agreements
5. Internal implications – internal economic policies should follow
– cut tariffs and subsidies – this has encouraged (i)
unemployment (ii) de-industrialisation and (iii) movement of
5. ‘Internationalism’
• Basic Elements:
• Being, and being seen to be, Good International Citizens
(Evans) with regard to
terrorism; narcotics;
international crime; AIDS;
refugees,
slavery;
piracy,
climate change,
UN
human rights and democracy;
WMD
• Policies & Aspects:
- international agreements over – narcotics, AIDs,
refugees, international crime, the environment, weapons
of mass destruction; piracy, slavery etc
- Support for the UN and other multilateral international
organisations
- Advocacy of democracy, individualism and human rights
Tension between components (1)
1. Is internationalism part of National
Interest?
Liberal Coalition might not agree that
‘internationalism’ is a national interest.
For them National Interest is dominated by
SECURITY
+
ECONOMIC development
Some right wing ALP share this
Tension between components (2)
But my view (Left idealist) Internationalism is a strong part
of national interest.
Why? (i) core aspect of National Interest - maintain &
enhance A’s way of life:
security – direct, regional and global
economic prosperity
socio-cultural assumptions
liberal democracy
respect for individual human rights
rules based international order – not rule of the strong.
Our way of life demands that we consider these
elements as important !!
Tension between components
(ii) Direct pragmatism in support for
internationalist agenda:
- Direct benefit to Aust. if limit narcotics,
piracy, gun running, AIDS, climate change
etc
- Indirect benefit to our status and image
(helps elsewhere)
‘being and being seen to be a good
international citizen’ (Evans)
How is Internationalism part of
National Interest?
• Maintaining way of life includes our socio-political
values:
liberal democracy and individual human rights
Core components of the Australian state
• It is in A’s national interest to maintain them
• If we don’t work to enhance/extend them – we are guilty
of hypocrisy
• But not all would agree:
some say National interest is only about security
stronger in the conservative parties
Hence debates about the extent to which Australia should
be and be seen to be a good international citizen
2. Australia and the US alliance
Note this is broader than ANZUS:
* does ANZUS still exist? NO! (no NZ)
* the formal Aust-US alliance is much broader
than the treaty
* the treaty is vague & has never been tested
Does the US alliance enhance or diminish our
national interest?
Is the US alliance consistent with other elements
of our National interest?
Australia & US in the past
Old view of US alliance
(i) Limits Australia’s sovereignty
participation in US wars
US bases
(ii) Regionalism – US alliance puts us off
side in the region
Are these still true?
Are these still true?
Not really – less true now
(i) Aust’s participation in wars comes at least as
much from- shared assumptions with the
US about the world
(ii) Aust. has more say over bases now ‘joint
facilities’– we are now part of the central
command and control network
(iii) Regionalism – Aust. has won respect for role
in the region independent of US
Cambodia late 1980s; Aid to Vietnam since 1974
East Timor; working with Indonesia over Bali
bombings, ‘people smugglers” etc
Australia- China - US
Aust potentially caught between
Alliance relations – US (security)
Economics – resources trade with China
This is a problem if US and China are on a
collision course - Are they?
US China relations – critical for
Aust.
Problems over
(1) Taiwan – US support for – therefore
Aust. must support?
(2) US defence perimeter in Western Pacific
- Potential problems as China grows
militarily
(3) China’s push for increased regional and
global power – military and diplomatic
Australia’s key national interest
To help manage the potential China – US
conflict
Prevent it from becoming dangerous
Acknowledge competition between them
but work to stop this becoming conflict
NI tensions over the US alliance
2. US and War on Terror –
Australia under Howard were complicit (to a limited
degree) in human rights violations of
– Guantanamo Bay
– Extraordinary Rendition
– Torture and water boarding
Uncritical support for US erodes our socio-cultural
assumptions about our way of life as a liberal
democracy valuing human rights
NI tension over the US alliance
3. Issues of Pine Gap
Detail is uncertain but Pine Gap is part of
US Theatre Missile Defence
– Missile defence system based on a attack
from China (and Nth Korea)
- Involves US breaching agreements on
anti-ballistic missiles
Therefore Aust. policy is aligned against
China by the presence of US base
(less or no choice in FP?)
New sources of NI tension over the US alliance
4. US and cluster bombs (minor)
Currently a bill before the Australian
Parliament which will or might allow US to
store or transit cluster bombs on
Australian soil
Should Aust’s defence relationship with US
allow this?
5. US Free Trade Treaty & Sovereignty
• Alleged that Free Trade Treaty with the
US limited Aust.’s sovereign capacity to
act over:
Pharmaceutical Benefits
Australian content of TV etc
Sources of tension with China
Conflict between trade with China and some
key internationalist objectives
• human rights and democracy
• climate change and carbon emissions
• regional autonomy –Tibet, Uighers
Manageable with occasional hiccups