It is no secret that Australia finds itself in an increasingly contested regional and global environment; rising powers and non-state, asymmetric actors are serving as major factors in the nation’s strategic calculus. In this podcast, former Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy, Vice Admiral (Ret’d) Paul Maddison, CMM, MSM, CD, turned inaugural director of the UNSW Defence Research Institute, joins host Phil Tarrant to discuss the commonalities between Australia and Canada, growing interoperability, defence innovation and the future direction of both countries.
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As part of the conversation, Vice Admiral (Ret'd) Paul Maddison joins host Phil Tarrant to discuss the commonalities between Australia and Canada and the role both nations will play in navigating an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific.
Maddison explains how his experience as the Canadian high commissioner to Australia during the lead up to the 2016 Australian Defence White Paper and how it has not only shaped Australia's long-term defence capability development, but also the government’s focus on developing and sustaining a competitive, long-term defence industrial base.
As part of this, Maddison will speak to the inherent links between the Australian Defence Force and Defence organisation and the Canadian Armed Forces and their respective Defence organisation. Building on this, Maddison will highlight the growing levels of interoperability between the two nations as a result of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship selection and the role both nations play within the broader US-led global order and the Five Eyes.
Shifting towards his new role as the inaugural head of the University of New South Wales Defence Research Institute, Maddison will discuss one of the primary focuses of the freshly minted UNSW Defence Research Institute, which is to nurture and strengthen international relationships, particularly within the Five Eyes network, mainly the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada.
Finally, Maddison will speak to the role of defence innovation in the Australian industry and defence ecosystems, and the role the nation’s entrepreneurial spirit will play in providing capability enhancements for the ADF and broader alliance network – as part of this, Maddison will discuss the collaborative nature of contemporary research and development within Australia and UNSW in particular, and the role it plays in supporting Australia’s defence industry.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team
Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:
Episode 510: CONTESTED GROUND: Iran’s collapsing sphere of influence
Episode 509: DEFENCE PROPERTY PODCAST: Understanding the ever-changing landscape of regional property investment
Episode 508: PODCAST: A proud history of providing debate and connecting sailors, with Mark Schweikert, federal president, Navy League of Australia
Episode 507: SPOTLIGHT: GWEO – protecting Australian sovereignty, with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s James Heading
Episode 506: CONTESTED GROUND: Ukraine’s freedom of manoeuvre in the information domain
Episode 505: SPOTLIGHT: AUKUS Pillar II – how technology sharing is strengthening our national security, with FAS Stephen Moore and Dr Nigel McGinty
Episode 504: PODCAST: Unleashing Australian know-how to grow military power fast, with John Storey, Institute of Public Affairs
Episode 503: CONTESTED GROUND: The intersection of national security and Australia’s declining economic performance
Episode 502: SPOTLIGHT: Developing risk frameworks for Defence, with Atturra’s Andrew Balmaks
Episode 501: CONTESTED GROUND: Maritime competition drives need for an Australian Coast Guard, with Jennifer Parker