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Volume 28 | Issue 2 | Winter 2020
TPI Front Office
TPI House ANZAC Day
TPI Partner Information Day Monthly General Meeting
Dawn Service Breakfast
Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Service Men and Women
Disabled in our Service – United in our Cause
171 Richmond Road, Richmond SA 5033 | Tel (08) 8351 8140 | Fax (08) 8351 7781
President's Report............................................................................1
Editorial..................................................................................................2
TPI Noticeboard................................................................................3
From the Minister of Veterans' Affairs...................................6
TPI Federation President's Report..........................................7
Dates to Remember.......................................................................8
From the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs................................9
Welfare and Hospital Happenings........................................10
Anzac Day Commemoration...................................................12
Are You There? General Meetings.........................................13
ARMY TPI and Veteran's Golf Club.....................................................14
More From DVA Minister's Office........................................15
P. LAMB
ASPI Kicks Off Deterrence Conversation..................16-18
D.J. GORDON
Coles Online Priority Service (COPS)...............................19
W.R. SCHMIDT
South China Sea Contest Heats Up.............................20-21
D.P. ALLGOOD The Squirrels....................................................................................22
G.J. YOUNG Financial Elder Abuse...................................................................22
W.J. HANSON Notices.........................................................................................23-24
R.H. McAULEY Behind the Scenes at TPI...........................................................25
RAAF Patron
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President’sReport
President’s Report
By Leon
By Leon EddyEddy
OAMOAM
Go free members! By the time you read this report
I expect we will be out of our social-isolation period.
I am writing this in the first week of May and all
indicators are that South Australians have complied
with imposed Covid-19 restrictions and as a
consequence, we should see an easing of same in
June.
We are a group whose health is compromised, I am pleased that we observed the
TPI Management advice of government and respective chief scientists. I look forward to seeing you in
Committee June. Although the office was closed during this period, it remained manned by a
skeleton staff of volunteers to answer calls and attend to daily administration matters.
Executive Members
My heartfelt thanks to them.
President
Our website has increased in popularity, largely due to the interest of our younger
Leon Eddy OAM
who members are leading us into the twenty-first century. The TPI (SA) website
Vice Presidents www.tpi-sa.com.au enables us to be updated weekly. If you have not yet looked at
Tony Mogridge it, I recommend it to you. Check it for the latest news; will there be a General Meeting
th
on June 9 or not?
(Administration)
John F. Genovese RFD Speaking of younger members, we are beginning to lose our Vietnam Veterans. Two
of our staunchest members (and office volunteers) have been hospitalized and are
(Services) forced to let their office duties go. It is now time for more of you 50 and 60-year-olds
Secretary to step up. We have a cadre of you already who are assuming office roles and
Management positions. As ex-Senior NCOs, they are excellent trainers and can
Julie Conry teach you the wonders and pitfalls of Veteran advocacy. Our office computer
Treasurer systems are simple, after all, I can use them (even without supervision). If the
distance to the office is an issue, we pay the DVA mileage allowance when you
Trevor Sampson volunteer. It is our policy that no Veteran should be out-of-pocket for helping other
Committee Members Veterans. We of course also supply a uniform shirt, name badge and business cards
if necessary. To test the water, ask your partner if they could do with one day a week
Kym Hogan without you if you chose to volunteer in the office. (I bet I know the answer).
(Deputy Secretary)
The pandemic’s effect on global finances will, of course, affect our investments and
VACANT I expect our earnings to be down dramatically this year. Our financial year runs from
(Deputy Treasurer) January to December. We could continue our expenses as normal and allow our
nest-egg to be eroded but that would not be prudent. I would prefer that each
Mick Curry OAM member still receive free Automobile Association membership. The only area we
(Welfare & Visitations) may be able to cut is our Scholarships. We currently have two students each in first,
second- and third-year tertiary studies. Including management fees (paid to AVCAT).
Gary Pope It costs approximately $30,000.oo per year. If we don’t award any scholarships from
(House Manager) now on, we are still honour-bound to continue supporting those young people who
already have our scholarships. Therefore, we will save $10,000 in 2021, 20 in 2022
Rod Pope and 30 in 2023. If our investments have recovered by then, the members may wish
(Bar Manager) to again award scholarships. I will be asking for a debate on this at General Meetings
from September onwards, be there to have your say.
Garry White
(Office Volunteer) Younger members also need to consider the future of this Association. Will the
current Constitution suit the needs of TPIs in the future, is the Policy Manual
Les Walker relevant? As a member, you are invited to have input on these matters. Our current
(Office Volunteer) premise has served us well for the last eleven years, but at what reduced
membership number do we seek a smaller home? We could again build a more
Lee Norrey suitable home in, say, ten years and bank the difference. These are your decisions
(Fed. Director) to make. Come to the General Meetings and have your say, tell us what you want.
◆◆◆◆◆◆ Cheers for now, see you on June 9
th
Tel: (08) 8351 8140
Leon
TPI News Winter 2020 page 1
Editorial ……………… By J Genovese (Ed) Hello fellow isolationists, haven’t these last few months been quite an adventure for us? I shall start by heaping praise on the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison for the leadership he has shown to date and the course he has taken to minimise the effect the COVID – 19 pandemic. I admit I was surprised that the government had set aside ideological principles and placed the welfare of the nation before political interest. I also applaud the Federal opposition and Crossbenches for their constructive support of the government. Who would have expected a conservative government would be prepared to spend billions to soften the blow to its citizens? Who would have believed that the government would double the money for the unemployed or pay $1500 per fortnight so that eligible employers could keep their employees? Then, on top of that, gift 2 X $750 to eligible pensioners? Well, you could have blown me down with a feather as the saying goes. You have done well Scomo. CONGRATULATIONS. Now we know there is a long way to go before this thing ends, so let us all work together, let us do our part by being understanding of the coming difficulties. There will be a financial debt to repay and the very people who were helped through this period are most likely to feel the pinch the most. The greater test for the government will be how it handles the aftermath. Let us hope the government gives this serious consideration in the foreseeable future. I turn to ANZAC Day. It certainly was an unforgettable experience. Like many of you, I have not missed a Dawn Service since my first, in 1968. This one however finished up being extraordinary. This ANZAC DAY DAWN was for me the most heartfelt, serene, sacred and uplifting Dawn I have ever experienced. Across the street, my balcony faces the Prince Charles Town Houses built by Defence Homes. They are ‘Married Quarters’ and are occupied by members of all three services. I spent those few minutes of dawn on the footpath of our apartment block, there, across the street on the opposite footpath, stood some Air force personnel and their families. Children and mums holding candles. A radio broadcasting the Dawn service in the city resonated in the stillness of the morning. I was moved to captivation at the sight. I noticed then the image was replicated along the street. This setting was new to me, I was not crowded, I felt no sense of invasion of thought or space, I felt as if in another parallel universe and in another time. I closed my eyes as I have done at this time, every ANZAC DAY. I saw three young men I once knew, men with whom were like siblings to me, men I loved, young men with whom I shared experiences beyond our years. Sadly, they were taken long before they should have been. Each ANZAC DAY we meet, we talk but we can never again touch. On this ANZAC DAWN, I saw, I spoke, and I remembered. Whether I was in another universe, in the deep recesses of my mind, or in a momentary spiritual zone, it was an experience like none other. It was real. R.I.P. Rodney, Ian and Alex. We will talk again. Gino page 2 TPI News Winter 2020
TPI Noticeboard
TPI OFFICE HOURS
As a necessity, the office has been closed since February, similarly, both Management Committee
meetings and General meetings were cancelled. The office was manned by a skeleton staff of
volunteers for administration purposes. We hope to be back in business by the 1st of June, however,
please check the TPI Website for confirmation as to the next General meeting date.
New Members
ARMY
M.J. SHANNON, J. McGOWAN, D.J. HALL,
J. MULARCZYK, B.J. RYAN
RAAF
T.P. JAVELIN
Reunions
1RAR CORAL REUNION UPDATE
I have been advised by Daryl Christie about the postponement and rescheduling of the 2020 52nd
Anniversary Coral Reunion. Here is his message...
I can confirm that the RACV Club has transferred our reunion to be now held on Thursday 13th May
2021.
I have also been in touch with Coopers Inn to reschedule the M&G to 12/5/2021. Have not locked this
in at this stage. They are in disarray at the moment and expect the pub to be closed down by tomorrow.
Will follow up with this when things settle down, whenever this may be???
The RACV Club has confirmed that all accommodation bookings can be rolled across to next year.
Anyone with queries should contact:
Anthony Flannery
RACV City Club
03 9944 8888
So, The Reunion in 2020 is rescheduled to 13 May 2021 at the same venue. RACV Club.
Disclaimer - The material contained in this publication is in the nature of general comment only and neither purports nor is it
intended to be advice on any particular matter. Readers should not act or rely upon any information contained in or implied by
this newsletter, without taking appropriate professional advice relating specifically to their particular circumstances. The
publishers and authors expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether an Association member or not, who acts
or fails to act as a consequence of reliance upon the whole or part of this publication. Views, opinions or claims expressed in
any editorial, article or advertisement are not necessarily the views held by the Committee of Management of the TPI (SA), nor
are they necessarily the views or opinions of the editor.
TPI News Winter 2020 page 3
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From the Office of the Hon Darren Chester MP
Minister for Veterans’
Affairs
Minister for Defence
Personnel
COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC
On the 1st May, Australia paused to remember the service and sacrifice of all those who served in the
Battle of the Atlantic, the longest military campaign of the Second World War.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said “the Battle of the Atlantic began in September 1939
and lasted for almost six years until the Germans surrendered on 8 May 1945, Victory in Europe Day,
with Australians serving on naval and merchant vessels during the battle. The battle was critical to
the Allied victory in the Second World War and had the Allies lost here, the war might have taken a
very different course,”
“Australians should reflect with gratitude on the contribution of our servicemen and merchant seamen
of the Battle of the Atlantic and as a nation remember their service, and thank them for the sacrifices
they made to allow us to enjoy the freedoms we value today.” Mr Chester said.
The Germans aimed to cut off Allied supply routes in the Atlantic Ocean. These supply routes were
critical for the Allies to build up and maintain their air forces and for the transport of food, medicine,
equipment and troops in preparation for the invasion of continental Europe in 1944.
“The Allies sunk nearly 100 German U-boats in the first five months of 1943. This was a decisive blow
against the Germans, though not enough to end the battle,” Mr Chester said. “German U-boats
returned to the Atlantic, but they never again managed to pose the same threat, and supply routes
across the Atlantic were secured by the Allies.”
During the war, around 5,000 British and Allied ships were sunk and some 65,000 Allied and merchant
seamen were lost.”
Open Arms — Veterans & Families Counselling provides free and confidential support for current and ex-
serving ADF personnel and their families. Help is available 24/7 on 1800 011 046 (international: +61 1800
011 046 or +61 8 8241 4546) or visit www.OpenArms.gov.au
page 6 TPI News Winter 2020
TPI FEDERATION PRESIDENT’S REPORT
“Disabled in our Service - United in our Cause”
In my last report in January, I predicted that “2020 promises to be yet another very full
year for the TPI Federation and all TPI/SRs and their families”. Little did we all know
the effects of a pandemic combined with a financial crisis would have on our lives just
two months later.
It is most important that all Veterans, and your families, remember that Open Arms is available to you
all should you be finding it hard to cope during these harsh times. Please call 1800 011 046 for the
mental health needs of you and your family. No Veteran or Veteran’s family is ever alone.
The Prime Minister has kept us advised of the situation on a regular basis and the new apps will also
help to keep us informed. DVA has advised “Maintaining continuity of services to the veteran
community is a priority, together with ensuring the health and wellbeing of our staff and we want to
make it as easy as possible for veterans to find the latest COVID-19 news, health advice and
economic support available. Government shopfronts are classified as essential services and, for the
time being, DVA’s VAN offices remain open to members of the veteran community. However, we
strongly suggest that members of the veteran community should consider their need to visit a VAN
office in person. If the query can be managed over the phone, email or internet please call DVA on
1800 555 254 or lodge a query via the website.” Should you need a reminder of any of the reams of
information that have been forthcoming, I suggest you go to https://bit.ly/2xgbmKs where DVA will
keep you advised of all the DVA relevant issues and https://bit.ly/2UpqMFr for all the Prime Minister’s
media releases.
There are also a couple of apps available that can keep you involved. The ‘What’sApp’ app is
recommended with a phone number of 0400 253 787. This app can be downloaded from the Apple
App Store or Google Play. Another app is the ‘Coronavirus Australia’ app. These two apps are
produced by the Australian Government and the information contained within them is reliable more
so than some of the ‘fake news’ type on the internet.
The TPI Federation Directors have decided that the Nation has to pull together and support all.
Therefore, the Federation Director’s decision to put on hold all the items included in the Priority Action
List that the Federation has been prosecuting for some years is in the hope of assisting the
Government to assist the entire population.
The major item on hold is, of course, the TPI Economic Loss Compensation campaign that would
have only cost the Government a mere $240m per annum. The other campaign of major relevance
is the hearing aid issue. The TPI Federation has been asking the Department and the Government
for several years to honour their obligation to Veterans in providing full compensation for the Veterans’
hearing loss medical requirements. The Government has failed to honour that obligation and owing
to the current health and financial crisis this issue will also be placed on hold for the foreseeable
future.
There is an exception to this new position. The TPI Federation has asked the Minister, thanks to a
suggestion from one of our Members, for the pharmaceutical full Safety Net benefits to be enacted
for all TPI/SRs as a means of releasing some of the current financial constraints. Should the
Government approve this, this would mean that regardless of how many scripts each TPI/SR has had
for the year-to-date, then your account would be classified as having had 48 scripts and the eligibility
for free medication would be enacted. It is hoped that in this Anzac month that the Federal
Government will find it suitable to gain this concession for TPI/SRs Veterans and their families. The
benefit of this financial assistance to TPI/SRs for such a measure would be appreciated by all
TPI/SRs.
Continued on page 8
TPI News Winter 2020 page 7
…Continued from page 7
A quick reminder that my position as President of the TPI Federation is up for re-election this year. As
usual, I invite any financial TPI Association Member to think about helping out their mates. If you are
interested in applying, the procedure and paperwork is available from your State/Territory offices.
Please contact them for further details.
The TPI Federation is proud that, again, the Veterans, young and old, are protecting the Australian
population and assisting the Australian Government. Again, the Veterans, are protecting and
supporting Australia and their people as only they know how to. The TPI Federation is proud of its
Members and their families for this support.
The Australian Veterans are supporting those who no longer have employment or have had their lives
turned upside down by social isolation as a result of the current health and financial concerns. By
placing our very important issues on hold – or placing them in hibernation – you are helping the
Government and the population to achieve what they have to achieve to return to our normal way of
life.
The following has been provided by DVA in relation to how to commemorate this year’s Anzac Day
Please stay well and don’t forget to get your flu shot.
Ms Pat McCabe OAM Email: federation@tpifed.org.au Ph: 0417 291 546 April 2020
Dates to Remember
June 06th Bomber Command Commemorative Day
06Tth D Day Landings at Normandy, France 1944
09th TPI General Meeting
10th Battle of Shah Wali Kot, Afghanistan
July 09th Allied Invasion of Sicily 1943.
14th TPI General Meeting
23rd Kokoda Track Campaign, New Guinea 1942.
27th Korea Veterans’ Day.
August 11th TPI General Meeting
15th Victory in the Pacific Day.
18th Vietnam Veterans’ Day. Battle of Long Tan, South Vietnam 1966.
31st Malaya & Borneo Veterans’ Day.
September 04th Battle for Australia Day, Milne Bay, Papua 1942.
08th TPI General Meeting
14th Australian Peacekeepers’ Day.
15th Battle of Britain Day 1940.
16th Capture of Lae, New Guinea 1943.
page 8 TPI News Winter 2020From the Secretary
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Liz Cossom AM ASC
As you know we have been working closely with a number of supermarket
chains to ensure vulnerable veterans can access a range of priority
assistance services from supermarkets when purchasing online or shopping in-store.
While the Gold Card is not a concession card it does identify our most vulnerable veterans, and war
widows, of which there are over 120,000 across Australia.
From 29TH APRIL, Gold Cardholders are eligible to access the priority services offered by Coles, IGA,
Foodworks and Woolworths.
The services being offered include priority online ordering, home delivery, in-store collection and
access to a range of boxed basic grocery items which is delivered by Australia Post.
More detail on the offerings from each supermarket can be found at the following links:
Coles https://www.coles.com.au/customernotice/onlinepriorityservice.
Foodworks https://foodworks.com.au/homedelivery
IGA https://igashop.com.au/
Woolworths https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/priorityassistance
While Gold Cards may not be identified on landing pages (as we are waiting for updates to the
websites), the DVA Gold card is listed or can be included when completing the online registration
process.
We will be providing more information to veterans about these initiatives through our usual
communication and social network channels. But I would appreciate your assistance in highlighting
these services to your members.
I am pleased with this outcome and thank you all for your patience.
Regards
Liz
TPI News Winter 2020 page 9WELFARE and HOSPITAL HAPPENINGS
BY Mick Curry OAM
ANZAC DAY 2020.
Repat Chapel – A small service was conducted by Reverend Steve Mills outside
the Chapel, with a limited audience due to COVID- 19 restrictions. Guests included
Bill Denny AM BM, Les Brown (99-year-old WW2 Veteran, 27th Battalion (Scottish), Royal South
Australian Regiment, Vocalist, Hayley Eldridge - Former Repat Staff Member and myself
representing the Association.
The service was live-streamed across the ABC Adelaide Facebook page which attracted 22
thousand viewers in the first 5 days. ( photo on page 12)
Decommissioning of Ward 17 RGH – Reverend Steve Mills led a service on 8 April to
acknowledge the fantastic work done by dedicated and professional staff in this ward over 54 years.
There were no guests, reference the previous item. It was to be an acknowledgement of a building
which has been acknowledged by users, and others as one that had a big heart and a caring soul.
It was a reflective event, that in essence formally now “passes the baton over” to the Jamie
Larcombe Centre to continue the support for our veteran brothers and sisters.
A video of the service is available for interested members.
Hospital Visits – Visitation team.
Early March we were asked to refrain from site visitations in both public and private hospital
systems, and as such, we do not anticipate a return till late June. We have formally been asked if
we are available to speak via phone to any of our members in care. Of course, we acknowledged
Yes, and are also making ourselves available to talk to the family members outside of the sites.
We have some members in Aged Care. Their situation is more extreme as their family members are
only allowed to visit if it is an End of Life issue. (see next item)
Please see the attachment below regarding recent activity levels from our team in all sites. Your
team is doing a great job and continue to attract credit to our Association.
Aged Care Decisions: As mentioned in previous editions there is an increasing demand with help
to seek Aged Care support either in the Home or an Aged care facility. We have and are happy to
meet the member and or family members in their residence for this help.
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1800 251 254 raa.com.au/mobility RAA ShopLes Brown, 99 years old, a WWII veteran who served with 27 Bn (Scottish) RSAR at the ANZAC
DAY Commemoration at the Old Chappell of the past Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park.
Leon, our President at his desk. He sure likes reading. Tony, our Vice President (Admin), always checking
Rules and Regulations.
page 12 TPI News Winter 2020Are YOU There?
Are YOU There?
General meetings are held monthly except during a pandemic
TPI News Winter 2020 page 13TPI & VETERANS GOLF CLUB
We would like to thank the association for their support in the last edition of the newsletter,
this would have to be the best show of assistance we have had since our inception.
It does me proud to see that the club
has the support of the management
committee, I thank the editor John
Genovese for his input and guidance
without this type of promotion we will go
nowhere.
On behalf of the golf club committee
we are very appreciative of the support ;
As like all other clubs we have shut down
due to the coronavirus so we have little
golfing news.
I have personally missed the contact with the
men on our golf day so this is a short note of encouragement to be positive, and we should be back
on the course (with the age most of us are, time passes very quickly) in the not to distant future.
The sudden passing of Graham Young was a
surprise and very sad occasion of us. Graham was
a founding member of the club along with President
Graham Dungey, Vice President, and Club Captain.
Due to poor health, we didn’t see a lot of him in the
last eighteen months but always knew when he was
there.
Our condolences go out to Christine and family,
also to Graham Dungey and Margret who has lost
a brother.
With the recent losses of Dave Dowsett,
Garry Johnson and now Graham, it makes a person
realise how fragile we are. We have to do a rethink
on how these men should be remembered.
A job for the committee.
Some news just came to hand. Looks like we have a restart June with some restrictions.
Revised Program for 2020 2 – 3 players per tee. One person per cart. Flags remain in. Leave the
course on completion. The handicapper will notify results to members by email.
Recommencing on June 18th Adelaide Shores 0900.
July 13th Penfield 0830.
August 18th North Adelaide 0841.
September 17th Adelaide Shores 0900.
October 12th Penfield 0830.
November 17th North Adelaide 0834. December 10th Adelaide Shores 0830.
To all club members and vets stay safe good health Kevin Simper (Secretary)
page 14 TPI News Winter 2020VETERANS TAKE HOME THEIR ASSISTANCE DOGS
More from DVA Minister’s office…
An important step forward in supporting veterans and their families has been reached with the first two dogs, Zuma and
Leon, provided to veterans under the Federal Government’s Psychiatric Assistance Dogs program.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the Government has listened to veterans, ex-service organisations and
the wider ex-service community about the role psychiatric assistance dogs can play in improving the lives of veterans with
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“This program will change lives and it will save lives, and I have no doubt Zuma and Leon will make a difference to their
new owners and help them to manage their mental health and wellbeing,” Mr Chester said.
“The dogs will now begin their next phase of training together with their owner and within their environment, and importantly,
as part of the veterans PTSD management plan.
“This is just one of the ways we are putting veterans and their families first, and I look forward to seeing more eligible
veterans signing up to experience the difference an assistance dog can make to their mental health and their overall quality
of life.”
The first two dogs handed over are from one of the approved providers based in Queensland, Smart Pups, which is
supplying eligible veterans nationwide with trained psychiatric assistance dogs through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
(DVA) program.
“The program is available to eligible veterans who have a diagnosis of PTSD and forms part of their PTSD management
plan, along with financial assistance from DVA for the upkeep of the dog,” Mr Chester said.
“Since the program was announced in September 2019, there have been more than 130 requests from veterans interested
in adding an assistance dog to their treatment plan.
“The psychiatric assistance dogs are specially trained to perform tasks that contribute to the clinical recovery goals of their
handler (veteran), including detecting signs of distress in their handler and performing specific tasks to help alleviate those
symptoms.
Australian Army veteran Andrew Glebow was one of the first to receive his dog and said that when he met Leon, he knew
he was the right dog for him.
“I got a good vibe from him straight away, so I know that we’re going to have a good relationship together. I’m excited about
him being a part of my life now,” Mr Glebow said. “
So from this point, having Leon as a part of my life is going to give me first and foremost companionship. It’s going to ease
my anxiety and my depression a lot having him around. And he already has!
“The DVA and Smart Pups process up until now has been easy to understand, straight-forward, and with a person such as
myself suffering from PTSD I’ve had no problems at all, it’s been great.”
Mr Chester said that as part of DVA’s program, participating veterans are encouraged to be involved in an evaluation
process designed to understand the individual program benefits experienced by veterans living with complex mental health
conditions.
“I encourage veterans who are participating in the program to provide their feedback so that we can continue to improve
what we are doing and meet the changing needs of the veteran community,” Mr Chester said.
Veterans currently accessing treatment for PTSD are encouraged to speak to their mental health professional in regards to
gaining access to a psychiatric assistance dog, or for more information about DVA’s Psychiatric Assistance Dog program
visit the DVA website.
Open Arms — Veterans & Families Counselling provides free and confidential support for current and ex-serving ADF
personnel and their families. Help is available 24/7 on 1800 011 046 (international: +61 1800 011 046 or +61 8 8241 4546)
or visit www.OpenArms.gov.au
TPI News Winter 2020 page 15ASPI kicks off deterrence and long-range strike
conversation… By: Stephen Kuper
04 MARCH 2020
Marcus Hellyer, ASPI’s defence economist and capability specialist, has kicked off the latest
round of conversations about developing a credible Australian deterrence and long-range
strike capability to support Australia’s long-term security.
Deterrence theory is as old as warfare and international relations, while the methods have changed
throughout history, the concept and doctrine remain constant, albeit, significantly more lethal.
Contemporary deterrence is best broken down into two distinct concepts as identified by US academic
Paul Huth in his journal article 'Deterrence and International Conflict: Empirical Findings and
Theoretical Debates', which states that a policy of deterrence can fit into two, distinct categories,
namely:
1. Direct deterrence: Preventing an armed attack against a state's territory; and
2. Extended deterrence: Preventing an armed attack against another state.
The advent of nuclear weapons and strategic force multiplier platforms like aircraft carriers, ballistic
missile and attack submarines and long-range strategic bomber aircraft, supported by air-to-air
refuelling capabilities, fundamentally rewrote the rules of deterrence capabilities.
Australia has enjoyed the benefits of extended deterrence provided by the global reach and capability
of the US since the end of the Second World War and, in particular, following the end of Vietnam and
the nation's shift towards a policy of continental defence.
However, the changing geopolitical, strategic and economic reality of the Indo-Pacific and the
emergence of peer and near-peer competitors across the region has served to undermine the
qualitative and quantitative edge long enjoyed by the US and allies like the UK, Australia and Japan.
For Australia in particular, the introduction of the 'Defence of Australia' doctrine directly impacted the
force structure and platform acquisition of the Australian Defence Force, as defending the nation's
northern approaches and the vaunted 'sea-air gap' became paramount in the minds of strategic and
political leaders alike.
page 16 TPI News Winter 2020"Until the late 1960s, Australian defence planning and policy assumed that our forces would normally operate in conjunction with allies, and well forward of the continent. We saw our security inextricably linked with the security of others," author of the 1986 Dibb report, Paul Dibb explains. This doctrine advocated for the retreat of Australia’s forward military presence in the Indo-Pacific and a focus on the defence of the Australian continent and its direct approaches effectively limited the nation's capacity to act as an offshore balancer. Only a dead fish goes with the flow Many would rightfully argue that following the relative decline and eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and the beginning of American hegemony throughout the world, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, this was a prudent step as Australia positioned itself as a key benefactor of the American peace, with minor constabulary responsibilities. This shift towards focusing on the direct defence of the Australian mainland dramatically altered the nation’s approach to intervention in subsequent regional security matters. These included Australia’s intervention in East Timor and later, to a lesser extent, in the Solomon Islands and Fiji during the early to mid-2000s. Each of these missions was further followed by subsequent humanitarian and disaster relief deployments throughout the region, each stretching the Australian Defence Force’s capacity to juggle multiple concurrent operations. However, the rise of China as a peer or near-peer competitor, driven by an unprecedented economic miracle and corresponding military build-up and overt pursuit of its territorial ambitions, coupled with the relative decline of the US as a reliable tactical and strategic benefactor, has caught many Indo- Pacific nations off guard. The changing dynamics of the Indo-Pacific, namely on the back of increasing Chinese assertiveness, has drawn extensive commentary from across Australia’s political and strategic policy-making community. Recognising this, Marcus Hellyer, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's (ASPI) senior analyst for defence economics and capability, has launched a series of analysis articles, beginning with 'Deterrence and long-range strike capability for Australia', in which he begins to debate the options available to Australia. Hellyer's core driving force behind the radical shift in thinking is the fact that "we could no longer take American military primacy for granted". This has been echoed by colleagues like Hugh White, who has called for Australia to plan for the worst, stating: "We cannot use such allies as a basis for our strategic posture and force planning. That is why I argue that we should plan to defend Australia alone. This might come as a surprise in view of the much-hyped network of defence partnerships we have built up over the past few decades." Framing the conversation Much of the debate surrounding the development of a credible long-range strategic strike capability, as formally operated by the Australian Defence Force in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, has been dominated by sceptics and pessimists, who albeit rightly point out that any such capability would expose Australia to unprecedented reprisal, should the capability be used in an offensive manner. "To paraphrase the sceptics, having a strike capability is pointless, and in fact self-destructive, because any conventional strike on a major-power adversary’s homeland would inflict minimal damage and be repaid 10 times over," Hellyer explained. "It’s a fair point, and one that I considered so obvious I hadn’t discussed it. I’m not saying we should get a long-range strike capability to bomb a major-power adversary’s homeland." In recognising this, Hellyer seeks to dodge the reductionist, defeatist dialogue that has long dominated much of Australia's strategic debate since the introduction of the Dibb report to frame the conversation and capabilities up for consideration. TPI News Winter 2020 page 17
Hellyer also seeks to expand upon the definition of contemporary deterrence theory as explained by Paul Huth to explain two forms of deterrence, stating: "The two primary forms of deterrence are deterrence by denial and deterrence by punishment. The former seeks to deter by increasing the difficulty of the adversary’s achieving their goals to the point that they regard the risk and investment of resources necessary to not be worth the cost. The latter seeks to deter by imposing penalties. Those penalties could be nuclear, but they could take other forms, such as economic reprisals." Based on these factors, Hellyer plans to take a deeper look at the impact of such deterrence capabilities on Australia's deterrence capabilities and how it may impact the long-term force structure and acquisition plans of the ADF. Your thoughts In the years following the end of the Second World War, long-range airpower in the form of the Canberra and later the F-111 bombers served as critical components in the nation's airpower arsenal. Australia's fleet of Oberon, followed by Collins Class submarines have also served as a powerful strategic deterrence capability while Australia has been able to ensure qualitative edges over potential adversaries, however, the economic growth and commitment by Australia's neighbours mean that the nation's qualitative-edge is diminishing. Additionally, the increasing power of cyber warfare and asymmetric capabilities will play an important role in evaluating, defining and developing a robust, multi-domain strategic deterrence capability for Australia. The long-range tactical and strategic deterrence capabilities of such platforms, combined with the qualitative edge of Australian personnel and technological advantages of these platforms, ensured Australia unrestricted regional dominance against all but the largest peer competitors. The rapidly evolving regional environment requires a renewed focus on developing a credible, future- proofed long-range strike capability for the RAAF and RAN to serve as critical components in the development of a truly 'joint force' Australian Defence Force capable of supporting and enhancing the nation's strategic engagement and relationships in the region. For Australia, a nation defined by this relationship with traditionally larger, yet economically weaker regional neighbours, the growing economic prosperity of the region and corresponding arms build-up, combined with ancient and more recent enmities, competing for geopolitical, economic and strategic interests, places the nation at the centre of the 21st century's 'great game'. Enhancing Australia’s capacity to act as an independent power, incorporating great power-style strategic economic, diplomatic and military capability serves as a powerful symbol of Australia’s sovereignty and evolving responsibilities in supporting and enhancing the security and prosperity of Indo-Pacific Asia. Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce also issued a challenge for Australia's political and strategic policy leaders, saying: "If we observe that the level of debate among our leaders is characterised by mudslinging, obfuscation and the deliberate misrepresentation of the views of others, why would the community behave differently ... Our failure to do so will leave a very damaging legacy for future generations." Get involved with the discussion and let us know your thoughts on Australia's future role and position in the Indo-Pacific and what you would like to see from Australia's political leaders in terms of shaking up the nation's approach to our regional partners. We would also like to hear your thoughts on the avenues Australia should pursue to support long- term economic growth and development in support of national security in the comments section below or get in touch with Stephen.Kuper@momentummedia.com.au or at editor@defenceconnect.com.au. page 18 TPI News Winter 2020
COLES ONLINE PRIORITY SERVICE (COPS)
Helping our most vulnerable communities
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support our most vulnerable customers and communities during this challenging time, and ensure we help
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stores.
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between collecting their order from their local store or have it home delivered.
Important information about the Coles Online Priority Service: Coles is experiencing high demand for all
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product category
Please ensure that your credit card details are correct before checking out. As a reminder, product limits in
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applies ($0.15 per bag)
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TPI News Winter 2020 page 19South China Sea contest heats up as Indonesia
joins growing anti-Beijing coalition: Stephen Kuper
The 2020s have gotten off to a
rough start as China’s increasingly
assertive position and ambitions in
the South China Sea have drawn
attention from yet another regional
power: Indonesia, which is joining
with neighbours to push back
against China’s encroachment and
disregard for international law and
sovereignty.
China’s pursuit of regional primacy
has prompted the nation to pursue
the development of an integrated
system of natural and man-made
island fortresses.
Dominating and controlling foreign access to the South China Sea through which approximately US$5 trillion worth of
maritime trade passes annually serves as a potent anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) system as a buffer for expanding China’s
designs for south-east Asia.
The growing deployment and respective capabilities of China’s armed forces, particularly the force projection capabilities of
the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), have prompted increased
concern from established regional powers, including Japan, Korea and Australia.
Additionally, smaller regional nations with competing territorial claims and ancient fears of Chinese expansion, namely
Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, have all raised growing concerns about China’s militarisation and reclamation
programs in the South China Sea.
In response, the US announced its ‘pivot’ towards the Indo-Pacific under the former Obama administration in 2013 moving
to reassure regional US allies like Australia, Japan and emerging allies like Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam that the
pre-eminent global power was committed to the enduring freedom and stability of the region.
Despite these early reassurances and renewed investment in the strategic capabilities of the US military under the Trump
administration – the global responsibilities of the US, particularly in the Middle East, and the potential for conflict with Iran
has once again drawn the attention of the US, providing an opportunity for China to enhance its military presence in the
South China Sea.
Recently, Indonesia has joined a growing coalition of regional nations, each with their own interests in the South China Sea
to push back against an increasingly assertive China and its designs for regional dominance.
This move by Australia's neighbour comes following a year of mounting tensions between Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and
the Philippines as they seek to consolidate their own territorial holdings and the sovereignty of their own economic exclusion
zones (EEZs) and national sovereignty.
Maximising a distracted, overstretched US
China has actively sought to counter traditional American and allied capabilities in both the South China Sea and the broader
Indo-Pacific.
This has included developing traditional power projection capabilities like aircraft carrier strike groups, increasingly capable
fleets of nuclear and conventional powered attack and ballistic missile submarines, upgraded strategic bomber forces, highly
capable fighter aircraft, and advanced ballistic and cruise missile systems.
Each of these platforms serves as an integral component within China’s rapidly developing ‘system of systems’ and broader
joint power projection and A2/AD networks – this balance of traditional force structures, supported by asymmetric platforms,
has served as a potent deterrent in the region.
As the US and other major allies continue to face domestic and other global challenges, the rising nations of the Indo-Pacific
have begun pushing back against China's mounting militarisation of the South China Sea – standing resolute despite a
distracted US.
page 20 TPI News Winter 2020Indonesia deploys warships, echoing the actions of SE Asian neighbours Recognising this, Indonesia has joined its regional partners to deploy a fleet of eight naval assets to the Natuna Islands following the presence of China's 'civilian' fishing fleets, violating Indonesia's EEZ and the national sovereignty of Indonesia. Indonesia's response to the presence of China and its growing antagonism towards the South China Sea adjacent nations echoes similar deployments made by the likes of Vietnam and the Philippines, both of which have had a series of confrontations with China in the region. Throughout the latter half of the 2010s, Vietnam's coast guard stood nose-to-nose against much larger Chinese vessels over the disputed Vanguard Bank oil and gas fields. The Philippines, while often mercurial in its nature concerning international relationships under President Rodrigo Duterte, has frequently sought to chart a middle path between China and the US, which has often led to Filipino naval and coast guard vessels patrolling and confronting Chinese vessels within their own EEZ. Linchpin of the Indo-Pacific: The South China Sea The former head of the Defence and Foreign Affairs and Trade departments, Dennis Richardson, called for Australia to conduct an increasing number of 'freedom-of-navigation' operations in the region, including directly confronting Beijing's island fortresses within the 12-nautical-mile boundary of the disputed islands. Mr Richardson reportedly explained to Paul Malley of The Australian that the nation and Navy should "not be afraid to sail within 12 nautical miles of the man-made atolls that China has constructed in the South China Sea and which Beijing claims as territorial islands — a claim not recognised under international law". "These so-called freedom-of-navigation exercises could be conducted discreetly and with little or no fanfare so as not to gratuitously antagonise China, an outcome Australian policy-makers have been eager to avoid, Mr Richardson says," Malley expanded. Nevertheless, Australia has moved to support enduring US-led freedom of navigation patrols throughout the region as part of Operation GATEWAY, which is Australia's commitment to preserving regional security and stability in south-east Asia – with a specific focus on both the north Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Australia's renewed and expanded role in the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea in particular and Richardson's calls for greater Australian boldness was recently reinforced by the University of Sydney-based US Strategic Studies Centre (USSC) in a paper titled Averting Crisis: American strategy, military spending and collective defence in the Indo-Pacific, which makes a series of powerful recommendations for Australia furthering the level of interoperability between Australian and allied militaries. Your thoughts Despite these calls, the question becomes, what platforms and crew is the Royal Australian Navy going to pressure into increased operational tempo, dramatically impacting the service life, operational effectiveness of the vessels and crew to play a greater role in the South China Sea? Dr Malcolm Davis of ASPI summarised the predicament perfectly: "We need to burden share to a much greater degree than before, and accept that we can no longer base our defence planning on the assumption that in a major military crisis or a period leading up to a future war, the US will automatically be there for us. "In fact, if we want to avoid that major military crisis, we have to do more than adopt a purely defensive/denial posture and be postured well forward to counterbalance a rising China or to be able to assist the US and other key allies, notably Japan, to respond to challenges. We can’t be free-riders." Enhancing Australia’s capacity to act as an independent power, incorporating great power-style strategic economic, diplomatic and military capability, serves not only as a powerful symbol of Australia’s sovereignty and evolving responsibilities in supporting and enhancing the security and prosperity of Indo-Pacific Asia. Shifting the public discussion away from the default Australian position of "it is all a little too difficult, so let’s not bother" will provide unprecedented economic, diplomatic, political and strategic opportunities for the nation. Get involved with the discussion and let us know your thoughts on Australia's future role and position in the Indo-Pacific and what you would like to see from Australia's political leaders in terms of increasing the budget, manpower and capabilities available to the ADF. Get in touch with Stephen.Kuper@momentummedia.com.au or at editor@defenceconnect.com.au. In the next edition… Nuclear Sub Debate Continues To Gain Traction In Strategic Policy Community TPI News Winter 2020 page 21
The Squirrels In a small American town, a band of squirrels had become quite a problem! The Presbyterian church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrel infestation. After much prayer and consideration, they concluded that the squirrels were predestined to be there, and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will. At the Baptist church, the squirrels had taken an interest in the Baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a water-slide on the Baptistery and let the squirrels drown themselves. The squirrels liked the slide and unfortunately, knew instinctively how to swim, so twice as many squirrels showed up the following week. The Lutheran church decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creatures. So, they humanely trapped their squirrels and set them free near the Baptist church. Two weeks later the squirrels were back when the Baptists took down the water-slide The Anglicans tried a much more unique path by setting out pans of whiskey around their church to kill the squirrels with alcohol poisoning They sadly learned how much damage a band of drunk squirrels can do. But the Catholic church came up with a more creative strategy! They baptized all the squirrels and made them members of the church. Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter. And not much was heard from the Jewish synagogue. They took the first squirrel and circumcised him. They haven't seen a squirrel since. Financial elder abuse – A worrying trend Ensure you give the right person your Power of Attorney Elder abuse can take several different forms including physical, psychological, and/or financial. Financial elder abuse is one of the most common forms of elder abuse and is generally described as being a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person and/or any act occurring within a relationship where there is an implication of trust, which results in harm to an older person. We have longer life expectancies than ever before with greater numbers of elderly people requiring assistance including of a financial nature. Unfortunately, instances of financial abuse are becoming more prevalent. Financial abuse can include criminal conduct such as fraud, theft or obtaining financial advantage by deception, however, often what occurs is more akin to improper conduct rather than illegal because in that the act or omission may not be deliberately abusive or malicious or, a relationship of trust or dependence may cloud the issue of consent. Improper conduct can include abuse of trust, i.e. where a trusted third party persuades the elderly person to act in a way contrary to their interests or, conduct resulting in personal gain for a third party in a formal position of trust giving rise to fiduciary duties, such as the holder of an Enduring Power of Attorney. Financial abuse does not only occur where a person lacks legal capacity, vulnerability to financial abuse may increase when an older person has reduced mobility, vision or hearing, or has any physical dependence on another person for care or assistance with tasks including, for example, banking. In these situations, the financial abusers are often relatives and caregivers more so than opportunists who seek to ‘befriend’ an elderly person for ultimately their financial gain. Enduring Powers of Attorney give a person or persons authorisation to act on someone else's behalf in legal and financial matters which can continue in force after the person granting it loses mental capacity. Enduring Powers of Attorney can prove to be invaluable in these circumstances however it is critical to ensure that very careful consideration is given to the appropriateness of appointments. It is important to obtain legal advice whenever considering preparing an Enduring Power of Attorney to reduce the possibility of financial abuse. Should you wish to meet with TPI Solicitor David Ward (TPI Solicitor) for legal advice regarding these and other matters please contact him to make an appointment on 0422 421 133 or, by email to doward2469@gmail.com page 22 TPI News Winter 2020
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