The National Security Podcast

In this episode of the National Security Podcast — part of our Security Summit Series — Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Senator James Paterson chats to Head of the ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has become increasingly prominent in recent years. Its work is not only highly visible, but highly influential too — as so much policy and legislation now has a national security edge to it. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Senator James Paterson shares a snapshot of the Committee he now chairs — what it is and what it does — with Head of the National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf. Their wide-ranging conversation spans Australia-China relations, countering foreign interference in Australian universities, sovereignty, bipartisanship and more.Senator James Paterson is Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, De

In this episode of National Security Podcast, United States Chargé d’Affaires to Australia Mike Goldman joins Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia’s bilateral relationship with the United States and the Biden Administration’s approach to the region.With a new administration in the White House, where should we expect continuity and discontinuity in America’s approach to its allies and the Indo-Pacific? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, and the second edition of Security Summit with Rory Medcalf, we speak to United States Chargé d’Affaires to Australia Mike Goldman on how the Biden Administration views the bilateral relationship, how the United States will respond to increasing Chinese attempts to coerce Australia, and how it is approaching the growing list of challenges to Indo-Pacific security.Mike Goldman is Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy to Australia in Canberra and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Mike h

In this episode of National Security Podcast, former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence Carmen Medina and intelligence expert Zachery Tyson Brown join Katherine Mansted to discuss the modernisation of intelligence and the tension between secrecy and transparency.With the amount of information publicly available and the means to collect it increasing exponentially, intelligence agencies and their processes are at a moment of change. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted speaks with Carmen Medina and Zachery Tyson Brown on whether secrecy is still important or whether increased transparency is more suited to the information age, and asks who is the more important consumer of intelligence: the government, or the public it serves? Carmen Medina is a former Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director of Intelligence with over 32 years of experience in the Intelligence Community and the author of Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within.Zachery Tyson Brown is a N

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Government Accountability Senator Kristina Keneally joins Professor Rory Medcalf on the first episode of Security Summit with Rory Medcalf to discuss the threat right-wing extremism poses to Australia’s national security.With right-wing extremism on the rise in Australia, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police are dramatically increasing the time and resources they spend on tracking and combating this threat to national security. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we launch our new stream – Security Summit with Rory Medcalf – by hosting Senator Kristina Keneally, member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, to discuss the shape of the challenge, why it has increased in severity, and whether government has the right tools at its disposal to deal with right-wing extremism. Senator Kristina Keneally is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Rory Medcalf, Katherine Mansted and Chris Farnham look over the wild ride that was 2020 and discuss what we should be watching out for in 2021.With a pandemic, climate-induced megafires, plummeting relations with China, and a democratic crisis in the United States there was no shortage of issues confronting national security policymakers in 2020. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, co-hosts Rory Medcalf, Katherine Mansted and Chris Farnham break down the issues and consider what really mattered in 2020, what some of the issues were that flew beneath the radar, and what we should be watching out for in 2021. Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University (ANU). His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the ANU National Security College and non-reside

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Greg Moriarty — Secretary of the Department of Defence — joins Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia’s Defence agenda in a contested Indo-Pacific.With Australia’s regional superiority eroding, defence modernisation and effective strategies are imperative for Australia’s defence forces. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of the National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Secretary Greg Moriarty on Australia’s efforts to develop and maintain a cutting edge military, defending Australia’s interests whilst maintaining good relations with Indo-Pacific nations, and how the Australian Defence Force retains its social license at a time when its integrity is being questioned.Greg Moriarty has served as the Secretary of Defence since 2017. Prior to his role with Defence, Greg has served as the International and National Security Advisor and the Chief of Staff to an Australian PrimeMinister, as Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia and Iraq

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Frances Adamson — Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade— joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the national security challenges facing Australia in an age of disruption.With the destructive impact of COVID-19 reverberating around the world, exacerbating the disruptive forces of great power competition, Australian efforts to support its own national interests have rarely been more important. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of the National Security College Rory Medcalf speaks with Secretary Frances Adamson on Australia’s tense relationship with China, how Australia perceives its interests and what Australia’s diplomatic community is doing to secure Australia in an age of disruption.Frances Adamson has led Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as Secretary since 2016 and in her time as a public official has served as International Adviser to a Prime Minister, Ambassador to China, and High Commissioner to Great Brit

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Dr Vasabjit Banerjee — specialist in comparative politics, electoral competition and political violence — joins Chris Farnham to discuss the current situation in the United States and the future of American democracy.  With the sitting president refusing to accept the election result and claiming mass-voter fraud, whilst his supporters take to the streets and threaten violence, the United States stands at a political crossroads. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Vasabjit Banerjee – Assistant Professor and Coordinator of International Studies at Mississippi State University – talks with Chris Farnham about why President Trump has been such a shock to American democracy, why he is leveraging social unrest and what his lasting impact on American politics is likely to be.Vasabjit Banerjee is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of International Studies at Mississippi State University where he specialises in comparative politics, ele

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Caroline Millar — Deputy Secretary, National Security at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet — joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the role of the national security professional in an age of disruption. With the COVID-19 pandemic super-charging Australia’s threat landscape, issues such as great power competition, technological disruption and challenges to the rules-based order are weighing heavily on the desks of national security policymakers. In this episode of National Security Podcast, Caroline Millar — Australia’s Deputy Secretary, National Security at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet — talks with Rory Medcalf about the national security challenges Australia faces going into the 2020s. They also explore the evolution of the national security community from the Cold War, through the post-9/11 period to the present moment.Caroline Millar is Deputy Secretary, National Security at Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabine

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs Michael Pezzullo AO joins Head of the National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss security in an age of disruption. In the latest instalment of the National Security College’s 10th Anniversary Conversation Series — which explores insights from leaders of the Australian national security community — the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs shares his philosophical and practical perspectives on national security, how we think about national security in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, and how we can work together across government, the private sector, and in our communities to maintain a prosperous, secure, and united Australia. Michael Pezzullo AO is the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs. Michael has also served as the Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and CEO of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, as well as Deputy

In this episode of National Security Podcast, expert on information warfare Molly McKew joins Chris Farnham to discuss the influence of disinformation on the United States presidential election. With less than one month until the US election - and the president testing positive for COVID-19 - the whirlwind of conspiracy theories and disinformation attacks has gone into overdrive. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Molly McKew dissects disinformation campaigns from conspiracy theories - and foreign from domestic narratives. She outlines how the US elections might be influenced, the likelihood of post-election violence, and why elected US representatives have become some of the greatest super-spreaders of false information.Molly McKew is a writer and an expert on information warfare. Molly served as adviser to the former president of Georgia and is CEO of Fianna Strategies, a consulting firm that advises governments, political parties, and non-government organisations on foreign po

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham is joined by Glenn Keys and Dr Geetha Isaac-Toua to discuss Australia’s response to COVID-19 and the role of the private sector in national security.With Australia likely to have avoided a nation-wide second wave of COVID-19, this episode of National Security Podcast considers some of the broader aspects of the national pandemic response. Did Australia grasp the challenge accurately from the outset, are we expecting too much from a potential vaccine, and should Australia be a regional leader in health security? The panel also discuss what Australia needs so that it doesn't have to compete internationally for life-sustaining resources. In our second episode on the role private industry plays in national security, we speak to Founder and Executive Chairman of Aspen Medical Glenn Keys AO and Medical Director Dr Geetha Isaac-Toua about the leading role the health industry is playing in supporting the Australian government’s pandemic response.&n

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham is joined by Jacob Shapiro to discuss some of the important geopolitical issues flying below the media radar.With the COVID-19 pandemic, China's rise fuelling tensions across the region, and unfolding chaos in the United States, this year could not be more action-packed for national security policymakers. Still, there are a number of other enormously important issues and trends in the world that barely get a mention. In this episode of National Security Podcast, we chat with Jacob Shapiro about the geopolitical issues that are changing the world. We discuss the breakdown of the global food supply, examine why previously tight relations between Latin American countries are breaking down, tackle whether peace is really breaking out in the Middle East, and ask what is Open-RAN?Jacob Shapiro is the Founder and Chief Strategist at Perch Perspectives Geopolitical Consulting. Prior to that, Jacob was a Senior Analyst at Geopolitical Futures and the Head of

On this National Security Podcast, Head of National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Ms Rachel Noble PSM, Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), about the history of signals intelligence in Australia, who ASD spies on and why, and adapting to new security threats.Signals intelligence has been an element of national security operations for as long as there has been warfare and competition. But how does an agency raised out of the Second World War adapt to the modern national security landscape? Has cybersecurity fundamentally altered the nature of Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)'s focus on intelligence collection and information protection? And with threats to Australia’s security emanating not only from international actors but also from Australians, at home and abroad, what role does ASD play in conducting surveillance on Australian citizens and where are the oversights to ensure that laws and personal privacies are not breached? As the second instalment in

On this National Security Podcast, Head of National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Major General Duncan Lewis, former Director-General of Security at ASIO, about securing Australia in an age of disruption.Since 9/11, it has become clear to Australia’s leaders that developing a national security pedigree in the Australian Public Service was imperative to meeting the challenges of an age of deep strategic disruption. To open the National Security College’s 10th Anniversary Conversation Series, Professor Rory Medcalf talks with recently retired Major General Duncan Lewis, former Director-General of Security at the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and National Security Adviser under the Rudd government, about the decision to create the National Security College. They also cover the daunting tasks of national security policymakers as Australia faces a grim strategic environment, and some valuable lessons from a lifetime of service in Australia’s national security commun

In this special episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by Alastair MacGibbon, Gai Brodtmann and Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia's recently released national Cyber Security Strategy.Released on 6 August, the Australian government released the 2020 Cyber Security Strategy. Citing the increased interconnectivity and reliance on the Internet as we transition to a digital society, a process supercharged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the document paints a daunting picture of a riskier and more uncertain landscape for national security. But does this strategy go far enough? In this National Security Podcast, the panel consider how the Strategy divides threats from nation states and criminal actors, and whether it communicates in a way that will speak to Australian society as a whole. We also ask whether the time has passed for refraining from naming those actors that threaten Australia’s cybersecurity. Gai Brodtmann is convenor of the National Security College’s Women In Nation

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by AustCyber CEO Michelle Price to talk about the risks of putting blind faith in the digital devices we use to run our lives and businesses.What would happen if we lost our digital connections, or access to our data? Now that people and businesses rely on digital devices for all facets of modern life, can such a disruption be quantified in dollar terms? On this National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by AustCyber CEO Michelle Price tackle these questions and explore whether traditional modes of policy-making will continue to work in the digital age.  Michelle Price is AustCyber’s inaugural Chief Operating Officer, and was the first Senior Adviser for Cyber Security at the National Security College.Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted speaks to Ali Wyne about why great powers compete, how China, Russia, and the United States are shaping the global system, and whether their behaviour is making the post-COVID-19 world more dangerous.Is competition between great powers destined to be fraught with the risk of conflict, or can it be a positive driver of global development? And how do middle powers view the future of their respective regions as the United States and China size each other up in the era of COVID-19? Katherine Mansted is joined by Ali Wyne to answer these questions and more on this episode of National Security Podcast.Ali Wyne is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute.Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously,

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we are joined by former Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Gai Brodtmann, Head of the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Brendan Sargeant, and Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College, to examine the details and meaning of Australia's recently unveiled 2020 Defence Strategy Update and Force Structure Plan.On 1 July, Australia officially updated its defence strategy with the 2020 Defence Strategy Update and Force Structure Plan. Citing the deterioration of its regional security environment and enhanced offensive capabilities among its potential adversaries, it calls for an upgrading of Australia's defence hardware. So, is offensive deterrence a new strategy for Australia, and could increased war-fighting capabilities drive an arms race in the region? The panel also ask which states may be the intended audience for this strategy update, and how likely the countries of the region may be to see increased Austra

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by Major General Marcus Thompson to discuss the nature of information warfare in the 21st century, and how it fits within Australia's broader defence mission.In 2017, Australia formed its first Information Warfare Division (IWD) in the Department of Defence. Tasked with achieving information superiority over Australia’s adversaries and gaining an advantage which can be exploited in the traditional air, land, and sea domains, the IWD is headed up by Major General Marcus Thompson. Three years into its life, the IWD has overcome many challenges, but what threats and opportunities are on the horizon? Have COVID-19 and the recent bushfires changed public expectations about the role of the Australian Defence Force in helping with unconventional security threats at home? In this National Security Podcast, we will tackle these questions, and discuss whether there is a need for wider public discussion and awareness of the thre