A more sensible approach for Australia would be to follow NZ lead and abandon its navy entirely, keeping National spending to an affordable level.

I would think feeding and housing an extra seven hundred thousand immigrants will approach a National disaster, without the added strain of a fleet of Rolls Royce boat tails in the garage.

Another on the ball article.

Land-based long range Defence systems is all Australia needs AND, a National Service to man the show linked with a Community Service to keep the places tidy !
Suddenly, there won't be any homeless or unemployable !

Irrespective Individual , there is nowhere to go but back to where they came from, for the extra seven hundred thousand free loaders!

And from what I see on the ground, freeloaders move directly into very scarce social housing, leaving the locals in tents.

Of course that point will not be discussed here or anywhere else.

Australia is a convenient dumping ground for the leftovers from American losing wars.

Maybe they’ll win a fight they pick one day, but frankly, win or lose, I believe they don’t give a toss either way.

And regarding your National Service idea, I’d go along with that if women in droves, picked up their rainbow flag and marched off to American losing wars: They seem to treasure equality, time will tell how they get along with that one.

What if, maybe. All wild speculation on the part of a (pro-China) author who wants the nuclear sub plan for Oz to fail.

I for one, don't share his BS concerns.
Alan B.

New Zealand has abandoned everything.

The only jet in their Air Force is the Prime Minister's carriage.

Their Army has about the same number of Troops as we station in Tasmania and with no heavy equipment.

They gave up their defence decades ago.

Do they expect others to defend them or will they slowly sell the place to China?

Aspley

Thank you.

The best defence for small countries (Kingdoms), is to pay bribes for mutual defence against imagined or real enemies.

Here lies the problem. It is certainly not a new one.

NZ was once an extension of the NSW colony. Nothing has changed effectively; and when the current situation exists where there are more New Zealanders now living in Australia than live in their home country, it’s hard to imagine NZ as anymore independent than an Au National State.

The extension of the argument of NZ independence, is easily compared to the independence of an Au State.
Reality has it, NZ has a quasi defence status under an umbrella of the Australian Commonwealth; but who pays the piper?

The answer to that one, is all countries cowering under threat of retribution from superpowers, pay an exorbitant price for securing National stability

I believe the modern history of Finland, between 1939 to 1945, does give the a unique guide to playing off the overbearing influence of those superpowers in maintaining sovereignty.

Where Australia now fails in doing just that, is allowing itself to be sucked into war games between those superpowers: And the stark example of that particular failing, is in paying an exorbitant price for weapons we have no need for!