The Coalition is demanding that Labor has to agree with every single national security decision it has taken, and the opposition is insisting that it does. What we are left with is a false and puerile debate, writes Gallo_Ways | OPINION auspol
on the Labor leader in recent weeks have been widely viewed as a cynical attempt to take advantage of anti-China sentiment in the suburbs, with some of Australia’s most experienced national security experts raising concern that he is politicising the issue.
The Coalition’s argument centres on one of trust. They point to Albanese’s previous criticisms of the government’s handling of the China relationship to argue he cannot be trusted to stand up to Beijing’s coercion in government, as well as Labor’s record in government on funding the ADF and national security agencies.
Essentially, the Coalition is demanding that Labor has to agree with every single decision it has taken, and the opposition is insisting that it does.We are not arguing how to best respond to China’s militarisation of the South China Sea, its human rights crackdown in Hong Kong and Xinjiang or its coercion against Taiwan. We are not debating what is the best response to Russia’s probable invasion of Ukraine, or the growing threat of foreign interference and violent ideological extremism.
This leads to key national security challenges, like how to handle China, to a debate among elites. Ordinary Australians don’t get a look-in, and the media don’t get to properly scrutinise alterative policies and approaches.
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