S2 E12 Confronting Crisis: Why Australia needs to have a serious debate on universal service

Over the last three years Australia has relied heavily on its defence force to respond to non-military related crises arising from bushfires, floods, and the pandemic. In this episode, former Chief of the Australian Defence Force (1998-2002) Admiral (Retired) Chris Barrie outlines why this is problematic for both military preparedness and national resilience, and proposes that a universal service scheme involving Australia’s young people might better prepare Australia for a range of crises in the future.Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.