ANU to lead national consultation on Australians’ view on security

First-of-its-kind program to provide comprehensive insight on the nation's attitudes to national security.

The National Security College at The Australian National University (ANU) will lead an ambitious whole-of-nation consultation on Australians’ views on national security and the major challenges we face in the 21st century.

Announced today at the ‘Securing our future’ conference taking place in Canberra, the program will see experts and affiliates from the ANU National Security College (NSC) “go on the road” as part of the national process of community consultation on security priorities and issues.

Professor Rory Medcalf will take the ANU National Security College on the road to canvass Australians’ views on our security needs and challenges. Photo: Lannon Harley/ANU.

“We want to help generate a clearer understanding of what Australians think when they think about national security,” NSC Head Professor Rory Medcalf AM said in a major address at the conference.

“And we will synthesise and frame that knowledge to help government and parliament as they consider policy choices into the future. “Our team will hold consultations in a cross-section of locations spanning remote, rural and suburban Australia as well as secondary cities.

“We will seek to comprehend the diversity of perspectives in today’s Australia, identifying the risks or realities of fragmentation as well as opportunities for convergence.”

Professor Medcalf said the first-of-its-kind program — Community Consultations on Australia’s National Security – will invite submissions from individuals and organisations.

The program will also include in-person and virtual meetings and interviews around the county, as well as cross-referencing with ANUpoll to analyse quantitative surveys of public attitudes on national security issues.

“This won’t just be a perfunctory foray out of the Canberra bubble and into such other bubbles as corporate boardrooms, think tanks and universities in metropolitan centres,” Professor Medcalf said.

“Our team will hold consultations in a cross-section of locations spanning remote, rural and suburban Australia as well as secondary cities.

“And at the end, in 2025, we will prepare and publish a report as an independent resource for governments and parliaments alike.

“It will be sort of resource that would be useful for a nation considering an integrated strategy for its interests and future security in this era of global uncertainty and risk.”

Read an extract of Professor Medcalf’s speech to the ‘Securing our future’ conference.