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Here's why Defence should be more important to AustraliansDear , Most Australians don’t think about defence until it’s too late. Ipsos polling last month showed only 6% rated it as a top concern - ranking below crime, immigration, and even taxation. That makes our lunch with Peter Jennings all the more urgent. [Click here to book] In 1939, Australians were still reeling from the Great Depression which had defined that generation, just as COVID has defined ours. Cost of living dominated their lives - until the world changed overnight. Today we face a similar situation and complacency. China’s military build-up has been the fastest since Nazi Germany. But like Germany then, China faces no external threat. What are all those ships, tanks, planes, and missiles for, if not to project power far beyond its borders? Churchill once said, “To jaw-jaw is better than to war-war.” He was speaking of diplomacy, but in our case the jaw-jaw must start here at home. That’s what this lunch is about. It’s worth recalling that in 2015, defence was important to 16% of Australians, the year after President Xi addressed our parliament. That was before wolf-warrior diplomacy, punitive tariffs, the 14 grievances, and the debt-trap tactics in the South Pacific. Back then, China was still seen by just about everyone as a valued partner. At last week’s Beijing parade, Xi stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Putin, Kim, and Iran’s president - a tableau of authoritarian power. And in the background was Labor’s Dan Andrews, reminding us that Australia’s challenges come from both outside and within. Australia can’t afford complacency. I hope you’ll join us to hear Peter Jennings explain why defence must return to the centre of the national agenda. Details are: Date: Wednesday September 17, 2025 12:00 for 12:30 pm. GRAHAM YOUNG 
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