Two prominent Australian commentators from opposite sides of the defence debate will meet to discuss Australia’s security, America’s role in Asia, the AUKUS partnership and more. Jennifer Parker from the National Security College, ANU, will make the case for an Australian defence policy with a maritime focus. The Lowy Institute’s Sam Roggeveen will argue for a continental strategy that is less centred on the US alliance.

The evening will feature opening statements from each speaker, followed by a moderated discussion led by Lowy Institute Deputy Research Director Susannah Patton, and will conclude with an audience Q&A.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Jennifer Parker is the principal and founder of Barrier Strategic Advisory. She is an Expert Associate at the National Security College, Australian National University, and an Adjunct Fellow in naval studies at the University of New South Wales Canberra. Jennifer also holds the position of Nancy Bentley Associate Fellow in Indo-Pacific Maritime Affairs at the Council on Geostrategy.

Sam Roggeveen is Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program. He is the author of The Echidna Strategy: Australia’s Search for Power and Peace, published by La Trobe University Press in 2023.

Susannah Patton is Deputy Research Director at the Lowy Institute. She is also the Director of the Institute’s Southeast Asia Program and is responsible for the Asia Power Index, the Institute’s annual data-driven assessment that maps the changing distribution of power in the region. Susannah joined the Institute in 2022, and her research has focused on geopolitical trends in Southeast Asia and Australian foreign policy.

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