A question for our times and ahead of the budget - should Australia increase its defence spending? What is the best use of an extra $25 billion ? theconversation.com/should-austral… via The Conversation - Australia + New Zealand UWA Defence & Security Institute UWA Troy Lee-Brown Wilson Beaver Gordon Flake

Mobile task forces with long-range capability and real-time intelligence key to US balance of power in the info pacific. Interesting read about next generation defence in our region. Troy Lee-Brown UWA Defence & Security Institute

Good to see Australia’s commitment to AUKUS and the US alliance getting recognition in DC Perth USAsia Centre Troy Lee-Brown UWA Defence & Security Institute

We are inviting your comments and submissions on these and other related issues to inform our analysis. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the 2024 study (bit.ly/43le91z) We will build on that knowledge and have that evidence available.

Preliminary estimates for military spending in ppp terms are now available. Real Military Spending 2024 - Military PPP militaryppp.com/2025/05/12/rea…

Fascinating The Economist piece: "How do countries rank by military spending? Our annual comparison of defence budgets using three benchmarks" economist.com/graphic-detail…

President of Kiev School of Economics and former minister Tymofiy Mylovanov on using military PPP for real defence spending comparisons . His thread below highlights UWA research in The Economist @

👇

India’s Education Challenge - Foreign Investment maybe part of the solution. “Can India create its own Ivy League?” (from The Economist) economist.com/asia/2025/06/0… ⁦.

Kyiv is standing! After the largest Russian attack. Yes, it is burning, and fires are extensive. All effort is directed towards extinguishing fires. We don’t know yet how many have died and been wounded. My family is ok. I hope my friends and everyone else are ok too

Clear thinking from John Blaxland - but we need an option B to improve our bargaining position…. “Trump may try to strike a deal with AUKUS review, but here’s why he won’t sink It.” theconversation.com/trump-may-try-…

Clear realist analysis from Hugh White on AUKUS. I’d add that no commitment to an alliance is really credible in the current geopolitical environment in any case. afr.com/policy/foreign… ⁦Wilson beaver⁩ ⁦Gordon Flake⁩

The cost of AUKUS may be too high for both sides and it’s not clear we could we credibly commit to new AUKUS terms? Auspol On X

UWA research shows costs, funding hole drain charities: #community #arts dlvr.it/TLZ0Wd

“Russia gets the equivalent of 41 per cent of US military spending for just 24 per cent of the cost.” Insightful discussion of military ppp concepts and implications for NATO in the Sunday Times.

“In order to make people equal, you have to treat them differently. If you treat people alike, the result is necessarily inequality.” — Friedrich Hayek

The Senate NDAA proposal will not only raise defense spending but also devote resources to urgent priorities, especially in the Indo-Pacific, writes Wilson Beaver. ow.ly/ovzt30sOs52

Trump pushed his 1Aug deadline to 7Aug (a clear TACO) & didnt get called on it! TACO=“Tariff-Announcement Climbdown Obfuscated” 👉such masterful misdirection!

Entertaining and appropriately cynical summary of the Reform Roundtable by Judith Sloan “And the wooden spoon for worst reform idea goes to” …. theaustralian.com.au/commentary/fou…

Australian workers 4th richest in the world … in terms of Big Macs! (from The Economist) economist.com/graphic-detail…