Let’s not repeat past betrayals of our national security

There is a lot to like in the Defence Strategic Review, but the 12-month delay hidden on page 106 brings to mind the prevarications of the Rudd-Gillard years (“Urgent long-range missiles order and domestic guided weapons industry delayed for another Defence review”, 26/4). In 2008, Kevin Rudd’s defence white paper, with its emphasis on naval shipbuilding, was an impressive initiative, even incurring the protests of the Chinese government. It all came to nothing, however, and nearly 40 defence projects were ditched or postponed over the next five years.

The current plan to redirect much of the funding from tanks and armoured vehicles towards missiles makes sense for Australia’s present strategic needs, but the project must not be scuppered by Treasury’s other priorities.

Defence Minister Richard Marles makes all the right noises, but if the missiles share the fate of Rudd’s white paper boats, the ­nation’s security will have been betrayed yet again.

John Morrissey, Hawthorn, Vic

Paul Kelly (“Defence review to test ALP’s ticker”, 26/4) is right to assert that our defence challenge is more strategic, technological and economic than simply protecting the country from invasion.

Defence restructuring is unlikely to happen without addressing our lagging industrial productivity and inventiveness. It is a critical necessity for our modern defence sector to be backed by affordable and secure nuclear power.

Small nuclear reactors, based on technology from the US, Japan, Britain and Canada, will be connected to their grids by 2030.

Australia, too, should plan for the technologies in our energy and defence sectors to be linked to those of our allies, rather than our potential adversaries.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

Paul Kelly says that across the past two decades our nation has failed to run an effective energy policy, to deliver efficiency and equity to the tax system, and to enhance government service delivery. Yet Tony Abbott, when prime minister, put on to his cabinet’s agenda productivity-enhancing taxation and defence reforms.

His vision was for Australia to be an affordable energy superpower – using our abundant coal, gas and nuclear reserves to the benefit of the nation and the wider world.

When Malcolm Turnbull truncated Abbott’s term, he also truncated these key initiatives.

It’s highly unlikely the Albanese-led Labor government would give Abbott the big-picture credit he is due. But for their sake and ours, the Peter Dutton-led Libs could and should.

Mandy Macmillan, Singleton, NSW

Patrick Hockey (Letters, 25/4) contends “there is little sign of ‘Lest we forget’ in our breathless rush to another military build-up”, alleging the same pre-World War I and World War II arguments “are being bandied about” with regards to arming our nation against China, and that this “foolishness” forgets “so many Anzac dawns”.

Surely it is not bandying to seek to strengthen Australia’s ­national defence preparedness in the face of the world’s current political climate. The rush to build up military defences is, perhaps, not so much foolish as it is pragmatic.

Understandably, we may be ­reluctant to face the sobering ­reality to fight for our national sovereignty.

This is not forgetting the terrible cost of previous conflicts, paid in death, suffering and sacrifice. It is remembering, respecting and honouring those who gave their lives, and endeavouring to ensure such dreadful cost was not in vain.

Unhappily, we as a nation may have reached the point of having to take seriously, and act upon, the deadly and paradoxical axiom: “If you want peace, prepare for war.”

Deborah Morrison, Malvern East, Vic

The Defence Strategic Review sounds like another review of a ­review. Bureaucrats perfecting procrastination to an art form.

Geoff Forbes, Kensington Gardens, SA