How does the ADA contribute to informed public debate on defence and wider national security issues?

Since our foundation in 1975 we have sought to fulfil our long-term public-interest guardianship role in informed public debate by:

  • undertaking research independently and with a long-term focus;
  • public-interest monitoring of Australian national security policy and its execution by our governments;
  • raising public awareness of strategic security, defence and wider national security matters so they are not forgotten, downgraded or misrepresented in the hurly burly of Australian politics and public debate;
  • conducting public seminars, meetings and other educational activities to publicise and discuss major issues (including those conducted locally by ADA Chapters around Australia);
  • publishing comprehensive discussion papers and commentary on national security issues, including an electronic bulletin, Defence Brief, and a national journal, Defender;
  • maintaining a comprehensive website and blog on the World-Wide-Web at www.ada.asn.au;
  • providing articles, interviews and other informed and independent comment on strategic security, defence and wider national security issues to mainstream and social media outlets, academia and the general public;
  • contributing to major public, academic and professional debates, conferences and seminars on such issues;
  • making submissions (often by invitation) to official and parliamentary inquiries, especially those conducted by (all-party) federal parliamentary oversight bodies such as the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS);
  • providing advice, proposals and submissions to the Government, Opposition parties, the defence force, the Department of Defence, other federal and state departments and agencies, and Australian industry and commerce; and
  • acting as a neutral broker for the conduct of policy development workshops by registered political parties reviewing their policies on strategic security, defence and wider national security issues.