As a believer in sustainability, I agree a voluntary non military option for young people on leaving school which involves real skills training should be offered. These things have to be costed and administrated correctly before implementation, there is a danger that good intentions turn into nothing more than a costly non-productive waste. The lazy anachronistic suggestion that young folk should be thrown into some military boot camp belongs to a bygone era.

mhaze, a good post, it accurately reflects the reality of modern warfare, its no longer numbers, China had an army of 2 million men in the 1970's, rather its technology these days and the skills needed to use it. Issy is welcome to lead the charge with Teddy Roosevelt up San Juan Hill any time he likes.

Interesting that hypocritical conservative politicians like Abbott are always prepared for sabre-rattling and committing young Australians to war.

I watched 60 Minutes las night and the threat of China
on Taiwan. Their young people are being trained to be
prepared for any future confrontation. They are determined
to fight to retain their country. Reminded me of the Ukraine.

The whole idea behind defending ourselves against China is to protect our freedom.

Should our freedom be already snatched from within, then why not welcome China since it would no longer make any difference.

Had I been 17 or so again, then my first option would be to leave Australia on the first plane or boat. Second option would be to go hiding in a cave or something, third option to be maim myself, fourth option to kill myself rather than be conscripted.

Ipso Fatso,
Name one new skill that migration will bring.

I'm very much with the RIGHT on this topic. Not only National Service to augment our fledgling military asserts, but to put us in a position to at least provide some defence or further recognisance of our vast coastline. A coast guard auxiliary in co-operation with the Navy perhaps?.

A 'part-time police force' to support and assist regular police. To allow them to spend more time investigating serious crimes - crimes occasioned against the person (women & children). After all they have them in the UK. Most are Special Constables and they work under the supervision and direction of their station Ch. Inspector.

And for those against military service - That's okay too. Then Civil National Service, where they take part, as Civil Service Trainees, where they wear a uniform, and render themselves under the same disciplinary criterion as a military trainee. This would include ALL young people, aged between eighteen and twenty five years. Including those who claim to be of a different sexual derivative. We'll find an adequate uniform for them too, so not to worry, man ma'am, or otherwise?

I believe the world is at the 'tinder box' stage with China v Taiwan and other potential scraps in and around our region. And the appearance that Putin's movement into further Russian domination, of who knows where, with his shaky hand on the button of human destruction?

More importantly for this country. There's been an alarming upward trend of youth crime in most centres of Australia. In trying to keep these young people out of gaol, and give them hope for the future, they have to be taught some basic (self) discipline.

As an example, get-up in time to go to work; elementary personal hygiene, A more positive attitude, and pride in themselves, their standard of dress, and their community. Many of these youth have never had a role model to teach them these basic life-skills. And it's NOT their fault. That being the case, it must fall to us, through our government, to teach them, or otherwise build more gaols and lose a very important future resource.

Skilled immigration is baloney. The jobs employers can't get workers for are unskilled jobs in hospitality, tourism, aged care etc: the sort of work Australian bludgers think is below them - but good enough for Africans and Asians who are pleased to have any sort of job in a place like Australia.

Almost half a million unemployed bludgers, and we 'have to' to bring in migrants.

We don’t have to, of course; we need a no-work-no-money policy. But our politicians don't have the guts to bring in such a policy. If they can't get people to work, they won't be able to get them into military service or a civil equivalent. If we carry on the way we are now, people will find themselves working for nothing for Communist China.