In the early months leading up to the 2025 federal election, Australia’s public debate was dominated by domestic issues with the ‘cost of living’ crisis looming largest of all, as well as the actions of US President Donald Trump, in particular his global tariffs. But, in late February, a task group of Chinese ships from the People’s Liberation Army Navy conducted unannounced live-fire drills near Australia, disturbing both domestic politics and the notion that military intimidation was only for nations far from our shore. It’s believed it was the first time a PLA Navy task group had circumnavigated Australia, and it took an unsuspecting public very much by surprise. Beyond standard remarks and occasional speeches from foreign and defence ministers, parliamentarians don’t often talk to the public about geopolitical developments regarding China, and that’s especially true when it comes to Chinese military activities. At times during this episode, politicians and senior officials appeared to be caught off guard, sometimes providing the public with slightly different timelines and explanations for the PLA Navy drills. It was clear early on that the situation had the potential to unravel quickly as a scramble kicked off to fill the information gap left by the government.
Australia (still) needs a dedicated and public-facing national security adviser | The Strategist
