“Australian war powers: The case for reform”- Paul Barratt

9.30-10.30am Friday 6 March 2015

This paper will describe the evolution since Federation of the system by which Australia goes to war (or, more precisely, by which it deploys the Australian Defence Force into international armed conflict). It will then discuss, with reference to the deployments to Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, the risks involved in the current situation in which the power to deploy is effectively in the hands of the Prime Minister of the day. The proposed solution is to transfer the so-called ‘war powers’ to Federal Parliament, a move which will be firmly resisted by both the major political parties. The four principal arguments customarily advanced against Parliamentary control of the ‘war powers’ will be analysed and shown to be without merit.

Paul Barratt AO is a former Secretary to the Department of Defence and the (Commonwealth) Department of Primary Industries and Energy, and a former Deputy Secretary to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is President of the Campaign for an Iraq War Inquiry and its related body Australians for War Powers Reform, a Director of UNE Foundation, Chair of Australia21 (www.Australia21.org.au), and Deputy Chair of the Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures (www.crc-acs.com.au). He has an Honours Degree in Physics from the University of New England and an Arts Degree (South Asian Civilisation and Economics) from the Australian National University.

A3 theatre, Arts Building
followed by morning tea
ALL WELCOME
Enquiries to: Karin von Strokirch – kvonstro@une.edu.au