Defence Policy
The Military in Capitalist Australia
Australia’s defence policy as it currently stands is a misnomer. Instead of primarily serving to protect Australia’s people from invasion, our country’s military is regularly deployed to serve the aims of both domestic and international imperialism. Australia plays a shameful role in facilitating US imperialism’s plans in Asia by hosting their bases and military assets. It is also the site of vast corporate welfare for private arms manufacturers benefitting to the detriment of the country’s military preparedness. The Australian Communist Party is opposed to all of these aspects of Australia’s defence policy and seeks their replacement with a policy that focuses on actually defending Australians from potential aggression and protecting Australia’s ability to pursue an independent foreign policy.
Australia has a burgeoning military industries sector acting in concert with its equivalents in the major imperialist nations, the US in particular. Australia is a second-tier imperialist power in our region, securing preferential treatment for Australian corporate interests, but is also a loyal servant of US military ambitions via the US Alliance. This post-WW2 pact has the unwavering support of all major parties.
This “partnership” commits Australia to massive outlays to ensure “interoperability” with the US for fighting its wars of conquest, economic resources and geopolitical dominance across the globe. Currently, the federal government is spending 1.9 percent of the national budget ($38.7 billion annually) on “defence”. It will increase that to 2 percent of the budget by 2020-21 in line with Pentagon’s expectations. The bulk of this expenditure is a massive theft of resources needed for basic needs.
America hosts numerous military bases in Australia. These are often misleadingly referred to as “joint facilities”. Perhaps the most vital to US war-fighting capacity is the Pine Gap spy base in the Northern Territory. These bases lock Australia into Washington’s plans that put Australia at risk of attack from countries suffering US aggression.
Unfortunately, international relations are dominated by imperialist interests; interests the Australian government slavishly upholds to the cost of the Australian people. The world continues to be an unsafe and insecure place for those seeking to pursue a political path based on social justice and peaceful relations. For this reason, Australia will continue to need a military capacity that will, ultimately, be tasked with defending the gains and sovereignty of our people.
We propose the following as immediate demands of the Australian Government:
Close all US and jointly operated bases on Australian territory.
Negotiate an end to leases of Australian territory or infrastructure to foreign militaries.
End Australia’s involvement in all current wars.
Commit to using the Australian military exclusively for defending Australia, regional anti-piracy operations and for internal disaster relief/infrastructure projects.
Ban the use of the military and military assets for internal security and policing activities.
Phase out purchases of military equipment from the US.
End purchasing of military assets designed for joining the US on imperialist adventures rather than defending Australia.
Shift emphasis in defence procurements to purchasing locally owned or produced weapons systems.
Shift procurements emphasis to weapons suitable for defending Australia (area denial capability, long-range anti-ship missiles, anti-air etc.
End the involvement of military industries in education.
Put military industries under public ownership and control and stop the price-gouging of private suppliers.
Do NOT promote arbitrary cuts to defence budget but instead investigation into how the money is spent.
The Australian Communist Party is under no illusion that any government in a capitalist Australia will accept these demands. The military industrial complex of the imperialist world and US government pressure is strong enough to cow even the most progressive social democratic governments and a government attempting to do even half of the above would likely face the same fate as the Whitlam government.
To realise a defence policy that is truly about defending Australia and its people requires working class political power and a socialist economic system.
Defence in a Socialist Australia
When the working class seizes power it must be ready to face the violent reaction of local and foreign counterrevolutionary forces. Even in the case of a relatively peaceful transfer of power and a unified internal situation, Australia must be defended against the inevitable provocations of imperialist powers eager to restore their privileges.
The Australian Communist Party rejects pacifist notions that a socialist country can unilaterally disarm in a world full of hostile capitalist states. A socialist Australia will need to maintain a well-equipped and well-trained professional military capable of defending the working people. It will aim to develop and produce its own weapons platforms and end Australia’s reliance on imperialist arms dealers.
The military of a socialist Australia would exist for the sole purpose of defending the country and working-class political power. This capacity would be devoted to protecting vital sea lanes, reducing piracy and combating the hegemony of major powers in the region. We advocate regional military cooperation based on mutual respect.