In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Leanne Close, head of ASPI’s Counter-terrorism Program, speaks to Julia Ebner, Resident Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue in London and author of ‘Going Dark – the Secret Social Lives of Extremists’. They discuss right-wing extremism and Julia details her experiences going undercover to engage with extremist groups and individuals and shares her ideas on how governments can respond. Danielle Cave, Deputy Director of ASPI’s Internatio...
Aug 28, 2020•36 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Lisa Sharland speaks to Rob Malley, President and CEO of International Crisis Group, about conflicts during Covid-19 and prospects for peace in Afghanistan. They also discuss Crisis Group’s annual ‘10 Conflicts to Watch’, including what’s changed since the last edition, and what might feature in the next edition later this year. The Strategist’s Brendan Nicholson and Anastasia Kapetas discuss the recently released US Senate Intelligence Committee Report o...
Aug 21, 2020•39 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Michael Shoebridge and Marcus Hellyer discuss the key findings of this years The Cost of Defence report which was launched this week. Traditionally the Cost of Defence is a single volume report, but for 2020 it's being released in two parts - this first part discusses the impacts of the Strategic Update 2020. Bart Hogeveen and Tom Uren from ICPC, the ASPI International Cyber Policy Centre, review the recently released Australian Cyber Security Strategy ...
Aug 14, 2020•37 min
This week, Kelsey Munro speaks to Charles Edel, Senior Fellow and Visiting Scholar at Sydney University’s United States Studies Centre about US-China tensions and the US policy approaches towards China. They discuss how the strong rhetoric on China coming out of Washington offers a distraction from US domestic political failings ahead of the upcoming elections. Brendan Nicholson and The Strategist’s new National Security Editor Anastasia Kapetas offer their thoughts on the ASPI conference thus f...
Aug 07, 2020•44 min
This week on Policy, Guns and Money, Michael Shoebridge, ASPI’s Director of Defence, Strategy and National Security, and Dr Robert Glasser, Visiting Fellow at ASPI, discuss the current Covid-19 situation globally, the successful and failing responses and the challenges ahead across the globe. Senior ICPC Analyst Kelsey Munro speaks to Researcher Nathan Ruser about his use of satellite imagery analysis in his research on areas such as Xinjiang and the China-India border and how he became interest...
Jul 30, 2020•35 min
This week on Policy, Guns & Money, Tom Uren, Senior ASPI ICPC Analyst, speaks to Sean Duca, Vice President and Regional Chief Security Officer for Asia Pacific & Japan at Palo Alto Networks about ASPI’s ‘Clean Pipes’ report. They discuss how internet service providers can do more to protect users from online threats that hurt the Australian community and economy. ICPC colleagues Louisa Bochner and Elise Thomas discuss the future for tech companies operating in Hong Kong and the challenges they a...
Jul 24, 2020•36 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Dr John Coyne, Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement at ASPI and Tom Uren, Senior Analyst with ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre discuss the legal dilemma of conducting offensive cyber operations. Next, Senior Analyst Dr Huong Le Thu speaks to Ja Ian Chong, Visiting Scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute and Associate Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore about the recent Singapore elections, why the r...
Jul 16, 2020•37 min
In this special episode of Policy, Guns and Money, ASPI’s Executive Director, Peter Jennings talks to Australian Walkley award winning journalist and ASPI Senior Fellow, Stan Grant and they turn their minds to the upcoming ASPI conference, Strategic Vision 2020. Stan talks about his delight at the incredible line-up of global leaders the conference has in store, and how he is preparing for the in-depth discussions he will facilitate as conference host over the course of four weeks. Peter and Sta...
Jul 14, 2020•17 min
In this special episode of Policy, Guns and Money, we continue the conversation on cloud computing. Michael Shoebridge and John Coyne, co-authors of ASPI’s recent report ‘National security agencies and the cloud: An urgent capability issue for Australia’, are joined by Oracle’s Kirsty Linehan and Nathan Cook, experts in cloud computing, for an in-depth discussion on cloud computing in Australia’s national security infrastructure. Report https://www.aspi.org.au/report/national-security-agencies-a...
Jul 12, 2020•25 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, ICPC Program Coordinator, Louisa Bochner speaks to Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, China reporter at Axios, about the Hong Kong security law, Article 38 and the application of the law and what this latest move from Beijing means for its relations with the US, Australia and other democracies. Next, two of ASPI’s grumpy strategists Marcus Hellyer and Malcolm Davis chat about the 2020 Defence Strategic Update, including what’s new in the update, what it means fo...
Jul 10, 2020•38 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, ASPI Researcher Genevieve Feely speaks to gender equality and social inclusion expert Amy Haddad about multilateralism to mark the 75th anniversary UN, the challenges ahead and opportunities for UN reform and changes in gender equality at the UN. ASPI Senior Analyst Jake Wallis and Analyst Samantha Hoffman discuss their recent report 'Retweeting through the Great Firewall' and how they went about analysing 170,000 twitter accounts to uncover the influence...
Jul 03, 2020•40 min
The 2020 Defence Strategic Update with Peter Jennings and Brendan Nicholson Four years on from the 2016 Defence White Paper, the Department of Defence has delivered a 2020 Defence Strategic Update. In this special episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Brendan Nicholson, Executive Editor at The Strategist discusses the update with ASPI’s Executive Director Peter Jennings. Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Backgro...
Jul 01, 2020•23 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, ASPI's Michael Shoebridge speaks to Shashank Joshi, Defence editor at The Economist about the recent India-China border tensions at Galwan Valley, the risk of further escalations, the politicisation of casualties and the impacts on the strategic relationship between India and China. Research intern Tracy Beattie speaks to Senior Analyst Malcolm Davis about the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's destruction of the joint ...
Jun 26, 2020•43 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Kelsey Munro speaks to James Leibold and Emile Dirks, authors of ASPI’s report; ‘Genomic surveillance – Inside China’s DNA dragnet’ about China’s national campaign of compulsory DNA data collection, the world’s largest police-run DNA database. James and Emile discuss/highlight how multinational companies and major Chinese companies are enabling the Chinese police in building this database. ASPI Executive Director Peter Jennings speaks to Clive Hamilton ab...
Jun 19, 2020•57 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, ASPI researcher Genevieve Feely speaks to Robert Baird, English Editor at Tatoli News, about recent political developments in Timor-Leste, including the challenge of a failed state budget, and the country’s Covid-19 response. Senior Analyst Kelsey Munro speaks to the Director of ASPI’s Defence, Strategy and National Security Program, Michael Shoebridge about the protests in Hong Kong and the United States, the parallels and differences between the two pro...
Jun 12, 2020•40 min
In this week's episode of Policy, Guns and Money, two of our (moderately) grumpy strategists Drs Malcolm Davis and Marcus Hellyer bring you a wide-ranging update on maritime and space issues – they discuss Marcus’ recent report on offshore patrol vessels and improving maritime capability, the recently released DST 2030 strategic plan, SpaceX launches and more! Next, ASPI Researcher and India expert Aakriti Bachhawat speaks to Nathan Ruser, Researcher with ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre...
Jun 05, 2020•33 min
In this episode of ‘Policy, Guns and Money’, Lisa Sharland, head of ASPI’s International Program, speaks to Major General Cheryl Pearce, Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. 29 May is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, and Lisa speaks to Cheryl about her experiences as Force Commander of a peacekeeping mission, the impact of Covid-19 on the mission and the importance of women in peacekeeping. Next, Leanne Close, Head of ASPI’s Counter-terrorism Program, spok...
May 29, 2020•52 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Peter Jennings, Executive Director of ASPI, speaks with Isaiya Kabira, Kenya's High Commissioner to Australia about the significance of Africa Day and Africa's progress since the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. They talked about the impacts of Covid-19 in Africa and also discussed Australia's relationship with Kenya and Australia's ties to Africa more broadly. Next, Brendan Nicholson, Executive Editor of The Strategist speaks...
May 22, 2020•54 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money Kelsey Munro, ASPI Senior Analyst, speaks to Charles Edel, Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, about the current tensions between Australia and China and the US-China relationship in the Covid era. Then, ASPI Researcher Geneveieve Feely speaks to Nikki Marczak from the University of Queensland’s Asia Pacific Centre for The Responsibility to Protect about the impact of Covid-19 in conflict-affected areas and the ...
May 15, 2020•40 min
The fourth and final episode of ‘Australia’s Next Steps’ examines the future of the global supply chain. Host Michael Shoebridge, Director of Defence, Strategy, and national security Program at ASPI, talks to Louise McGrath, General Manager for International Competitiveness with the Australian Industry Group, and Pieter Els, Oracle’s Director of Supply Chain Management Cloud solutions in the Japan and Asia-Pacific region. The conversation examines the impact of the pandemic and finds that the re...
May 13, 2020•29 min
In this episode, ASPI’s Dr Huong Le Thu talks Australia's Ambassador to Vietnam, Her Excellency Robyn Mudie, about the situation on the ground in Vietnam and the lessons to be learnt from the country's response to Covid-19. Next, senior analyst Dr Jake Wallis and research intern Albert Zhang chatted about their recent research on Covid-19 disinformation and social media manipulation and the rise in patriotic trolling campaigns in support of China on social media platforms. Finally, ASPI's Profes...
May 08, 2020•36 min
In episode three of Australia’s Next Steps, host Michael Shoebridge talks to Alison Pennington, Senior Economist at the Centre for Future Work associated with the Australian Institute, and Tom Murphy, Head of Agriculture and Regional Investment Strategy with the Queensland Investment Corporation about the future of nation building for Australia. The discussion centres on the Australian economy, focusing on the strengths and resilience demonstrated throughout the pandemic that can be leveraged as...
May 07, 2020•37 min
"Fakes are all around us. Academic analysis suggests that they’re difficult to spot without new sensors, software or other specialised equipment, with 1 in 5 photos you see being fraudulent." In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Danielle Cave speaks to authors Hannah Smith and Katherine Mansted about the research behind their recent ASPI report. The report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/weaponised-deep-fakes People in this episode: Danielle Cave - Deputy Director, ICPC: https://www.aspi.org...
May 01, 2020•33 min
Welcome to ASPI’s mini-series, ‘Australia’s Next Steps’, brought to you by Oracle. Episode Two looks at the future of work in Australia. For many, the pandemic has changed our daily working lives, and has allowed businesses to realise both the benefits and drawbacks to this style of work. Host, Michael Shoebridge, Director of ASPI’s Defence, Strategy and National Security Program, talks to Brenda Banning, Head of Architecture & Industry Strategy at Oracle, and David Schofield, Principal Consulta...
Apr 30, 2020•31 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Kelly Smith speaks to ICPC’s Vicky Xu, Kelsey Munro, and Nathan Ruser, authors of ASPI’s ‘Uyghurs for sale’ - the ground-breaking report which exposes the forced labour programs being inflicted on the Uyghur population of Xinjiang, China. They discuss their open-source research approach and the impact the report has had. Report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale Vicky Xu: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/vicky-xiuzhong-xu Kelsey Munro: https://www....
Apr 24, 2020•25 min
Welcome to ASPI’s new mini-series podcast, ‘Australia’s Next Steps’. ASPI, together with Oracle, is excited to launch the first episode of a new podcast that examines Australia’s strategic environment, opportunities for the future and the possible next steps for the nation. Episode One examines the future of national security for Australia and the outlook for our region. Host Michael Shoebridge, Director of ASPI’s Defence, Strategy and National Security Program, talks to ASPI’s Executive Directo...
Apr 22, 2020•30 min
In this episode of Policy, Guns and Money, Lisa Sharland, head of ASPI's International Program speaks to Dr Anna Powles, senior lecturer in security studies at Massey University for an update on the impact of Covid-19 on the Pacific. Kelly Smith catches up with Colonel Ned Holt, ASPI's US Army War College Fellow to get some tips on looking after yourself while in isolation in difficult circumstances. Dr Huong Le Thu, Senior Analyst at ASPI speaks with Dr Donald Greenlees of Melbourne Universitie...
Apr 17, 2020•38 min
In this episode, ASPI’s Genevieve Feely speaks to Dr Sue Harris-Rimmer, Gender Policy Expert and Associate Professor at Griffith University Law School, about the Afghanistan peace process and why it's so important that women are represented and their rights protected in any agreement that is made Michael Shoebridge talks to Emeritus Professor Paul Dibb about the implications of Covid-19 for Russia, Vladimir Putin and Russia’s relationship with China. Finally, Charlie Lyons Jones speaks to Dr Mal...
Apr 09, 2020•41 min
In this episode; ASPI’s Lisa Sharland talks to Richard Gowan, International Crisis Group's UN Director, to discuss the International Crisis Group’s recent report: "Covid-19 and Conflict: Seven Trends to Watch". The report is available here: https://www.crisisgroup.org/global/sb4-covid-19-and-conflict-seven-trends-watch Earlier this year Bart Hogeveen of ASPI's ICPC released the report: "ICT for development in the Pacific Islands". Bart speaks with Louisa Bochner about the report and his work ass...
Apr 03, 2020•41 min
This special episode marks the publication of ASPI's Counterterrorism Yearbook for 2020. This is the fourth annual edition of the CT Yearbook and while circumstance dictates we cannot host our traditional launch at the ASPI Auditorium, we invite you to listen to this special episode and join in the conversation about this incredibly important topic. In this episode, we hear an introduction from ASPI Executive Director, Peter Jennings, followed by a conversation between the publication’s co-autho...
Mar 31, 2020•38 min
