New Defence Minister Richard Marles’ intriguing group of policy advisers were given just minutes each to lock down strategy for some of the biggest challenges of the times.
On Wednesday, Defence Minister Richard Marles hosted 25 members of Australia’s foreign policy and defence elite to, in effect, talk about China.
Echoing the Houston view, grave prognostications were exchanged during addresses by members of the group of 25 at the Marles-chaired meeting. But it turned out to be a sort of strategic policy speed-dating exercise, with each participant limited to just a few minutes of speaking. The new head of a clearly revitalised Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Jan Adams, is a former Australian ambassador to China and Japan, and is a well-known figure to members of the Albanese government.
Before that, he was acting chief of staff to the former Coalition government’s defence minister, Linda Reynolds. One of the best linguists in government, Dewar is fluent in Mandarin, Japanese and Korean.Another key figure is Justin Hayhurst, a DFAT deputy secretary in charge of its Geostrategic Group. Hayhurst led the drafting of Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper.
“Australia needs to be ready for a long struggle, as do the US and other democracies targeted by China’s political influence activities – tackling covert, corrupt and coercive practices head-on,” he wrote in 2017.The Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings reportedly said Shearer’s role in the Morrison government was significant given his views on China.