New Neighbour, New Challenge: Australia and the Security of East Timor

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Launch of an Australian Strategic Policy Institute Major Policy Report 

Former Deputy Prime Minister and East Timor Election Observer, the Hon. Tim Fischer, launched New Neighbour, New Challenge: Australia and the Security of East Timor, in Canberra today. 

Mr Fischer said this Report ‘highlights a special priority where others would be wise to pick up the need for police security, to carry out law and order on the ground. 

….So as we salute our newest neighbour East Timor we do so with this very thoughtful paper which I think will add to the information and consideration of priorities.’ 

New Neighbour, New Challenge: Australia and the Security of East Timor is the first publication produced by the recently established Australian Strategic Policy Institute – ASPI. 

The Report makes recommendations on Australia’s security relationship with an independent East Timor, and covers:

  • Australia’s strategic interests in East Timor;
  • East Timor’s security problems; and
  • The current state of East Timor’s security institutions and international assistance.

ASPI’s Strategy and International Program, headed by Dr Elsina Wainwright, prepared the Report with the assistance of three contributors – Alan Dupont, Professor James Fox, and Ross Thomas. Dr José Ramos Horta and Professor Hadi Soesastro wrote discrete sections providing the East Timorese and the Indonesian perspectives.

Date: Monday, 20 May 2002 
By: Australian Strategic Policy Institute

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF NEW STRATEGIC INSTITUTE

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The Minister for Defence, Sen the Hon Robert Hill tonight officially launched the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) at the Anzac Hall, Australian War Memorial. 

ASPI has been set up by the Government as an independent centre of research on strategic and defence policy. Its role is to promote Australia’s security by contributing fresh ideas to Government strategic decision-making, and by helping to inform public discussion of strategic and defence issues. 

In his opening remarks Professor Robert O’Neill, the Chairman of the ASPI Council, drew on the venue of the launch to remind the audience that Australia has been no stranger to conflict over the last hundred years, whether from defending against direct attack or offering support for the rule of international law to re-establish peace. 

“We have not always got it right in our past policies and commitments. Australia and Australians have suffered for these shortcomings and many others over the past hundred years. One common element in these errors of judgement was a lack of objective analysis and unfettered, open debate at the level of strategic policy making by the federal government. They were compounded by a public opinion which was sometimes ignorant and sometimes apathetic.” 

ASPI’s objective is to become the Government’s major source of information, analysis and proposals on strategic policy issues outside the ADF and the Public Service, and as such, a major influence on Government decision making. 

The Institute aims to become one of the most authoritative and widely quoted contributors to public discussion of strategic policy issues in Australia and a recognised and authoritative Australian voice in international discussion of strategic issues, especially in the Asia-Pacific. 

The Director of ASPI, Mr Hugh White, said that ASPI’s work will cover the whole range of defence and strategic policy issues currently facing Government: strategic and international, operations and capability, and budget and management. 

“Australia needs to rethink our strategic relationship with Indonesia. We need to shape a bilateral defence and security relationship with the newly independent East Timor. We face major force-structure decisions on such key issues such as the future of our air combat force and the shape of our surface fleet. 

“There are also big questions to be addressed about the way we fund and support our forces. We need to ensure that capability is delivered as cost effectively as possible, and as quickly as possible. ASPI will have a major contribution to make on all these issues.” 

Further information about ASPI, including its research and publication program, is available from its web-site at: http://www.aspi.org.au

More Information:

Media contact: Ms Janice Johnson 6270 5109 

Senator Hill’s speech is available from his office. 

Phone + 61 6270 5100 Fax + 61 2 6273 9566 www.aspi.org.au ACN 097 369 045

Launch of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute

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The Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Hill, this evening officially launched the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) at a function at the ANZAC Hall of the Australian War Memorial. 

ASPI has been established by the Government as an independent centre of excellence on strategic and defence policy issues. ASPI will provide specialist advice to government and contribute to public understanding of the defence and strategic challenges and choices facing Australia. 

“There is no area where public understanding and informed debate on key issues is more important,” Senator Hill said. “Yet there is not a lot of that debate in the community. 

“Outside defence circles there is little discussion on what are the appropriate roles for the Australian Defence Force. There is little discussion on whether terms of service adequately reflect the aspirations of today’s family. There is even less debate on what the public is prepared to pay for defence. ASPI can and should encourage this debate.” 

Senator Hill said the 2000 Defence White Paper provided the most comprehensive plan Australia had ever had for the development of our defence forces. The Government had also committed to substantial and sustained real increases in Defence spending over the whole of this decade to fund the development of the capabilities Australia needs. But the White Paper was just the beginning – defence policy would need to continue to evolve to meet the challenges of a changed international security environment. 

“ASPI’s success will depend on its ability to make a real contribution to the Government’s thinking and to public understanding on the questions and choices that confront Australia in the defence and strategic area,” Senator Hill said. “It is an important and exciting task. I wish Chairman Bob O’Neill and his council and Hugh White and his staff success with their mission.”

Contact: Catherine Fitzpatrick

Date: Wednesday, 13 March 2002 
By: Australian Strategic Policy Institute

HUGH WHITE APPOINTED DIRECTOR AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE

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Media Release – Minister of Defence

Hugh White is to be the first Director of Australia’s new strategic and defence policy think-tank, The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). 

ASPI has been established by the Government as an independent source of information and ideas on Australia’s defence and strategic needs. It will focus on practical policy issues and offer specific proposals. 

Australia faces major strategic and security challenges in our own region, in the wider Asia-Pacific and from global trends including terrorism and people-smuggling. 

ASPI will stimulate debate on our defence choices and provide Government with fresh views and perspectives on difficult issues. 

It will introduce a new element of contestability in the policy advice available to Government on defence issues. 

Defence and other Commonwealth agencies provide excellent advice to Government, but more diversity and competition will help ensure that old ideas do not outlive their usefulness, and new ideas are evaluated on their merits. 

Hugh White has worked on strategic and defence issues for many years, as an intelligence analyst, journalist, ministerial adviser and senior Defence official. 

As Deputy Secretary for Strategy in the Defence Department from 1995 to 2000, he has been a key adviser to government, principal author of a number of recent policy documents and an important contributor to the Defence 2000 White Paper. 

ASPI has been set up as a Company Limited by Guarantee. 

The directors of the Company are appointed by the Government, but are given full and independent authority to steer the activities of the Institute to achieve its objectives. 

I announced the membership of the board on 5 July 2001. 

The Institute is non-partisan, and enjoys the full support of both the Government and the Opposition. 

One position on the Board is filled by a nominee of the Leader of the Opposition. 

Under a seven year funding agreement, the Institute will receive funding from the Government of between $2.1m and $3m per annum, and will also seek funding from other sources. 

ASPI’s work program will cover the full range of strategic and defence policy issues, including strategy, force development and management. 

It will produce a substantial program of published research and conduct seminars and workshops. 

ASPI will work with a small core staff of around six people. 

Most of its research will be contracted out to experts in academia, the media, industry and elsewhere in the community, as well as from those with experience in Government and the ADF.

Date: Thursday, 11 October 2001 
By: Australian Strategic Policy Institute

THE AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE BOARD

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Today I announce the appointment of the first governing Board of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the ASPI. 

The ASPI will be a centre of expertise for the provision of policy-relevant research on defence and strategic issues. 

The Board will make an important contribution to the depth of study and analysis of defence and strategic issues in Australia. 

The institute will provide Government with an alternative strategic advisory forum that may challenge advice from established bodies within the strategic environment. 

The Board will include the personal nominees of both the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. The Secretaries of the Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs and Trade will serve on it in an ex-officio capacity. 

The Board is independent of Government. Its members represent experience, expertise and excellence across a range of professions including business, academia, and the Defence Force. 

Many of its members have considerable experience in defence and security issues at the strategic level. 

The first Chairman of the ASPI is Professor Robert O’Neill, AO, a distinguished Australian academic who is currently Chichele Professor of the History of War at Oxford University and Chairman of the Council of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. 

The other Board members are: 

The Hon Jim Carlton, AO
Mr Carlton is the nominee of the Prime Minister. He recently retired as Secretary General of the Australian Red Cross Society. He served as a Minister in the Fraser Government and as Shadow Minister for Defence from 1989-90. 

Major General Adrian Clunies-Ross AO, MBE
Major General Clunies-Ross had a distinguished career in the Army and is now Chairman of the Australian War Memorial Council. Last year he participated on the White Paper Community Consultation Team for Defence. 

Mr Des Moore 
Mr Moore served in Government for many years, reaching the position of Deputy Secretary in Treasury. He is currently Director of the Institute for Private Enterprise in Melbourne, and before that was Director of the Institute of Public Affairs. 

Mr Stephen Loosley
Mr Loosley is the nominee of the Leader of the Opposition and member of last year’s Community Consultation Team for the Defence White Paper. Mr Loosley was elected to the Australian Senate in 1990 and retired in 1995. He is now a partner with Price Waterhouse Coopers. 

Senator Jocelyn Newman
Senator Newman has been in the Senate for 15 years representing Tasmania. During her distinguished career Senator Newman has been actively involved in Defence issues in both Government and in the Shadow Ministry, as well as through Senate Committees. 

Dr J Roland Williams, CBE
Dr Williams recently retired as the Chairman and CEO of Shell Australia. He is Chairman of the Institution for Chemical Engineers, Chairman of the Advisory Council to the Centre for Energy and Resources Law, University of Melbourne, and President of the Business /Higher Education round table. 

Dr Ashton Calvert
Dr Calvert, the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will serve on the Board in an ex-officio capacity. 

Dr Allan Hawke
Dr Hawke, the Secretary of the Department of Defence, will serve on the Board in an ex-officio capacity. 

With the Board appointments completed, the ASPI will now be established as a separate legal entity, incorporated as a company limited by guarantee. 

It will be ready to commence operations early in the second half of this year. 

For further information contact: Mr Ross Hampton 0419 484 095, Media Adviser

Media Release – Minister of Defence
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