New parliamentary committee for Australia’s war preparations since World War II

Federal MPs have been asked to look at how Australia can prepare for the impacts of war as officials and government ministers become increasingly worried about the risk of conflict breaking out in the region.

The bipartisan committee, which excludes crossbench and minor party MPs, said it would examine “strengths and gaps in Australia’s national civil preparedness and resilience” as well as consider “whole-of-nation support for national defence, continuity of government, and the availability of essential goods and services during times of crisis or conflict”.

One federal government source stressed that the government did not believe that war was inevitable, but said parliament had to do more to prepare the nation for the catastrophic consequences that could flow from a conflict in Asia, or even on the Australian mainland.

Defence Minister Richard Marles told reporters that Australia had largely neglected questions about national resilience for decades because it had enjoyed the fruits of a long period of peace. He thus remarked that in any contingency, the way in which the civil economy operates and interacts with the defence force is fundamental to a society being able to manage this possibility.

The committee is also likely to have a particularly sharp focus on how the government can shore up essential imports like fuel and fertiliser in the wake of the Iran war, which has exposed how vulnerable Australia is to supply chain shocks and wartime disruptions.