APSF Webinar, 6pm AEDT, Tuesday 11 February, Will AUKUS make us safer?

Australia’s Peace and Security:  Will AUKUS make us safer?

Webinar – Tuesday 11 February 2025, at 6-7pm AEDT on Zoom

What are the prospects and consequences of nuclear war? Is Australia likely to be targeted in a nuclear war? What more can Australia do to maintain our region as a nuclear-free zone? Does our current relationship with the United States enhance or endanger our security? Will AUKUS make us more secure? How should Australia navigate the growing US-China contestation? How feasible is Australia’s current defence strategy of ‘deterrence through denial’?

Our MC and speakers are:

MC, Prof Penny D Sackett, APSF Board member

Penny D Sackett is a Distinguished Honorary Professor, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions. She was the former Chief Scientist of Australia, 2008-11, providing independent advice to the Australian government on matters of science and innovation, and was a vocal champion of evidenced-based decision making. Penny was Director of the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics for five years, and also responsible for the management of Mount Stromlo Observatory in ACT and Siding Spring Observatory in Coonabarabran, NSW. She is often called as an expert witness in climate court cases. https://austpeaceandsecurityforum.org.au/about/

Melissa Parke, Executive Director ICAN, Luck is not a strategy to avoid nuclear war.

 Melissa is a former Australian Minister for International Development and former Member of Parliament for the Australian Labor Party for Fremantle from 2007 to 2016. As an MP, she regularly voiced support for nuclear disarmament, including as a member of a cross-party parliamentary group dedicated to the cause. She has also been an ambassador for ICAN Australia and has served as a patron of the Tom Uren Memorial Fund, which supports ICAN’s work. https://www.icanw.org/melissa_parke

Allan Behm, Advisor International & Security Affairs Program, The Australia Institute, AUKUS, the Australia-US alliance and regional security.

Allan Behm specialises in international and security policy development, political and security risk evaluation, policy analysis and development, and negotiating the policy/politics interface. Following a career spanning nearly thirty years in the Australian Public Service, he was Chief of Staff to Minister for Climate Change and Industry Greg Combet (2009 to 2013) and senior advisor to the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong (2017-19). His most recent book, The Odd Couple, examines the nature of the Australian-American alliance. https://australiainstitute.org.au/expert/allan-behm/

Major General Michael G Smith AO (Retd), APSF Board member.  AUKUS, China and Australia’s military strategy of deterrence through denial.

Major General Smith served for 34 years in the Australian Defence Force, including serving in Papua New Guinea, Cambodia and Timor-Leste.  His civilian career was as CEO of Austcare (now Action Aid Australia), founding Executive Director of the Australian Civil-Military Centre, and service with the United Nations in Libya, Myanmar, Nepal, and Yemen. Mike is the Development Advisor for the Calleo Indigenous Community Fund, Chair of the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund, a Non-executive Director of the Institute for Economics and Peace and the Australian Respiratory Council. He is a past National President of the United Nations Association of Australia.   https://austpeaceandsecurityforum.org.au/about/

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