Australian Minister for Defence, Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, June 5 launched the Defence White Paper Community Consultation Program and released a public discussion paper “Key Questions for Defence in the 21st Century” during an event at Parliament House.
“As a key component of this program, the public discussion paper will help us to generate ideas and expand the public debate about Defence and security that is so essential to the White Paper process,” Fitzgibbon said. “The paper will inform and encourage discussion among interested members of the general public as well as the wider Defence community, and will also encourage consideration of the many facets of Defence business and more general Defence policy.”
The commissioning of the White Paper was announced in February.
The government wants Australian’s views on three key questions: “What role should our armed forces play? What kinds of armed forces should we develop? Can we afford such forces?”
Public discussion will also take the form of meetings around the country, defense policy seminars and the ability to make e-mail submissions.
Additionally, there will be opportunities for the panel and politicians, industry and defense analysts and commentators to air their views.
All input gathered will help those writing the White Paper find answers to questions such as: “What is the likely future role of force in the international system? What should be the key tasks for Defence over these coming decades? And, what financial, workforce and other business impacts might these changes entail?