Latest news with #JoelFitzgibbon
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Completely unacceptable': Albanese govt ‘not prepared' to discuss with Australians the threat of regional conflict with China
The Coalition has said the Albanese government is "not prepared to have an upfront discussion" about the threats to our country, which were spelled out in a recent Sky News special event. Last week, Sky News aired the special event 'The War Cabinet' comprising of a panel of defence experts who warned a conflict looms in the Indo-Pacific region. During the discussion, former Labor Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, who served in the first Rudd government, said Australia's strategic outlook in the Indo-Pacific region was 'deteriorating rather markedly' and that the warning time of an attack is much shorter. Additionally, CyberCX executive director Katherine Mansted said while Australia was not at war, 'we're certainly not at peace' and the Australian public had a 'huge stake' in defending its sovereignty. 'Chinese military cyber spies are actively probing our civilian critical infrastructure, looking for weaknesses and looking for ways to get in and hide and bide, potentially for high-impact sabotage, if relations deteriorate in the region,' she said. Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor said despite the clear warnings, the Albanese government was 'not prepared' to talk about a conflict with China. 'They're not prepared to have an upfront discussion with the Australian people about the risk of domination of the Indo-Pacific by the Chinese Communist Party,' he told Sky News host Chris Kenny. 'I mean live-fire exercises off the south coast of New South Wales and the government has nothing serious to say about it.' Mr Taylor said Australia had 'no choice' but to increase its defence spending from two to three per cent of GDP to ensure the Australian Defence Force (ADF) was prepared and capable to defend the nation. 'I know this is difficult at a time like this to find that money but we have no choice,' he said. 'We need to have an Australian Defence Force that is prepared, that is agile, that has the people it needs, that has this sovereign manufacturing capability it needs – missile manufacturing, drone and counter-drone manufacturing – the emerging technologies that we are seeing are playing such a critical role in conflicts around the world. 'The objective here of course is peace.' Mr Taylor said Australia must also have a 'strong alliance' and admonished the Prime Minister for not having had a meeting with President Donald Trump. 'That's completely unacceptable,' he said.
Sky News AU
12-08-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Israel-Palestine conflict has caused ‘division' within Australian communities
Former Labor cabinet minister Joel Fitzgibbon says the Israel-Palestine conflict is causing 'division' within local Australian communities. Mr Fitzgibbon told Sky News Australia that it's a 'very complex issue' to understand. 'I wouldn't criticise the prime minister for the path he has now taken.'
News.com.au
11-08-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘We've got to get scary': Australia unready for war, warns expert panel on Sky News
Australia is unprepared to defend itself in the face of rising global tensions, some of the nation's most senior defence and foreign policy figures have warned. In a special Sky News Australia program, The War Cabinet, hosted by award-winning journalist Chris Uhlmann in the historic Cabinet Room of Old Parliament House, the panel agreed on one stark conclusion – if conflict comes, Australia would not be ready. Mr Uhlmann said the location served as a reminder of a time when leadership was tested under extreme pressure. 'Today, with China rising, America shifting, and the global order fragmenting, the threat of major conflict in our region looms once again,' he said. Former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon said the warning time for a potential threat was 'growing much shorter' and argued that keeping the United States engaged was critical. 'We cannot allow a hegemony … that's not democratic in our region,' he said. 'That means doing more of the heavy lifting … and building a force capable of deterring and denying a threat. 'That means, of course, spending more, spending smarter, and being more creative about the way we spend, and to spend far more efficiently.' Alexander Downer, former foreign affairs minister, called the world's strategic situation 'difficult, if not dangerous', pointing to the growing links between China, North Korea, Iran and Russia. Mr Downer said Australia's enduring security partnership with the United States was vital to sustaining stability in the region. 'If this alliance holds, it's properly cemented, if it's well led by the Americans and if we, as members of the alliance, are serious about making a practical contribution to defence throughout spending and our equipment, then we will maintain a balance of power in the world, and that will be a force for peace,' Mr Downer said. 'But if we fail … the risks are huge.' Former Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo warned that China's recent naval exercise off Australia's coast was 'likely a rehearsal for missile strikes'. 'We've got a very different China than the China that Hawke, Keating and Howard dealt with,' Mr Pezzullo said. Cyber security specialist Catherine Mansted said the threat was already on home soil. 'We're certainly not at peace … Chinese military cyber spies are actively probing our civilian critical infrastructure looking for weaknesses … potentially for high-impact sabotage if relations deteriorate,' Ms Mansted said. Strategic analyst Peter Jennings said Australia 'should be worried'. 'This is not a story about the 2030s … this is everything about China positioning to be the dominant strategic power in our part of the world, by military force, if necessary, and it is utterly false for our government to say that somehow they have stabilised the relationship with China,' Mr Jennings said. The panel also warned a Chinese assault on Taiwan would quickly draw in Australia. Mr Jennings predicted it would begin with a blockade to 'cutting of internet cables into Taiwan, stop air traffic and sea traffic into Taiwan' before missile strikes and leadership decapitation. Former naval officer Jennifer Parker said China could also target Japanese and US forces, turning it into 'a regional conflict' where Australia's involvement would no longer be a choice. Dr Ross Babbage said walking away from the US alliance would spark 'public outrage' and stressed Australians needed to understand the stakes. 'We've got to get informed. We've got to get strong. We've got to get scary … invest in things that cause the other guy to change their calculations,' Dr Babbage said. Defence aviation expert Dr Oleksandra Molloy said that in 2014, 'no one expected anything would happen in Ukraine' but it was 'way too late to act'. 'We have time and resources … and we can develop and do it right now,' Dr Molloy said. The panel agreed that, regardless of the scenario, Australia is currently ill-equipped to go to war. 'No one around this table wants war,' Mr Uhlmann said.
Sky News AU
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
The War Cabinet warns Australia faces a 'different China' in future crisis as Beijing readies itself for sustained conflict
The threat of a war involving Australia is far greater and more imminent than the public is being told according to defence experts, as the nation faces a "different China". On Sky News special event The War Cabinet, a symposium of former defence ministers, military personnel and leading academics in the fields of modern warfare have claimed Australia will unlikely be able to sit out of a future conflict. Former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, who served in the first Rudd government, said Australia's strategic outlook in the Indo-Pacific region was 'deteriorating rather markedly' and that the warning time of an attack is much shorter. In order to meet this threat head on, Mr Fitzgibbon suggested 'spending smarter' and 'far more efficiently," as well as keeping the United States engaged in the region. Australia's longest serving foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer, who served in the Howard government, agreed and said the only way to uphold liberal democracy against the threats of China, North Korea, Iran and Russia was to operate in a 'strong global alliance led by the United States'. 'If this alliance holds, if it's properly cemented, if it is well-led by the Americans ... And if we, as members of the alliance, are serious about making a practical contribution to defence through our spending and our equipment, then we will maintain a balance of power in the world,' he said. 'I think the government here in Australia has made a major mistake by playing, if you like, politics with this issue of the dangers of the region and losing the balance of power because they don't want to be seen to be too close to President Trump,' he said. Former Home Affairs Department Secretary Mike Pezzullo said China's circumnavigation of Australia in February was an attempt to 'project power', 'coerce us' and to rehearse military strikes. Mr Pezzullo said the threat of Beijing had changed since the 'technocratic China' times when Bob Hawke, Paul Keating or John Howard were in power - when it was focussed on prosperity and eradicating poverty. 'We've got a different China,' he said, insisting the imminent threat of war. 'We should take 2027 seriously because that's what (President) Xi has said is a target date for him.' Mr Pezzullo has warned the chances of a conflict in the Indo-Pacific by 2027 was a '10 to 20 per cent' risk. Defence aviation expert Dr Oleksandra Molloy said one of the primary strategic challenges is that China was working alongside other hostile powers such as Russia, North Korea and Iran. 'This emerging axis is quite concerning,' she said. CyberCX executive director Katherine Manstead said while Australia was not at war, 'we're certainly not at peace' and the Australian public had a 'huge stake' in defending its sovereignty. Ms Manstead said there was a concerted effort from China to undermine and attack Australia coercively. 'Chinese military cyber spies are actively probing our civilian critical infrastructure, looking for weaknesses and looking for ways to get in and hide and bide, potentially for high-impact sabotage, if relations deteriorate in the region,' she said. Defence analyst and former naval officer Jennifer Parker agreed US was an important partner, but that Australia should also 'develop a degree of autonomy'. 'I think that hard and rapid investment in capability that can do that, you know, we talk a lot about deterrence, we also just need to be able to respond,' she said. Ms Parker said Australia did not have an integrated air and missile defence which could last for 'more than a couple of days' and insisted Canberra should listen to the US about upping defence spending. Retired Australian Army major general Mick Ryan said there would be no change unless the mindset and culture of 'zero risk' - which "pervades pretty much every bit of Australian society" - changes. 'The Department of Defence must take more risk in procurement, in innovation, to cut the amount of time it takes to develop capability, to fail more in learning about new ways of thinking and fighting and supporting ourselves, and nurture a spirit of innovation that connects military, industry, and society in this country,' he said. Strategic Analysis Australia director Peter Jennings said Australia needed a Prime Minister who was capable of 'picking up the phone to the President' and to look at forging a new security treaty with Japan. 'This is not a story about the 2030s. Our concern needs to be in the second half of this decade. Essentially, whilst Xi Jinping is still the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party,' he said. 'It is utterly false for our government to say that somehow they have stabilised the relationship with China. Things may have improved on the trade front, but that is at the expense of ignoring the strategic developments which all of our colleagues around the table have spoken about, which is China is positioning for war." Mr Jennings said a Trump White House was "less important" than people thought, as the enduring interest of the United States was to hold onto its dominance as a global superpower. "The test for the United States is not so much about the defence of Taiwan. It's about the defence of their own position as a global superpower. And are they prepared to see that eroded by China being victorious in this part of the world?" he said. Strategic Forum CEO Dr Ross Babbage said the overall strategic environment had gotten 'a lot worse', partly due to China's staggering investment into its defence related capabilities. Dr Babbage said China was not just investing in military capability, but was 'changing the structure of their economy' to be able to conduct a major military operation and 'sustain it indefinitely'. 'They're also preparing their community, psychologically, for tough times that may come,' he said. 'So we're looking at the possibility of a serious crisis.' Uhlmann closed the cabinet with an admonition: Wise governments prepare for the worst.
ABC News
24-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Joel Fitzgibbon and Arthur Sinodinos
Afternoon Briefing: June 2 and June 12 Afternoon Briefing interviewed Joel Fitzgibbon and Arthur Sinodinos respectively on issues related to the AUKUS submarine contract with the USA and United Kingdom. The programs failed to reveal that they are the co-chairs of the AUKUS Forum Advisory Board a body that represents industries and companies seeking to participate in the program.
