Contested Ground

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, shadow minister for communications and federal member for Banks David Coleman joins host Liam Garman to discuss the recent misinformation bill that will leave free speech and political discourse in Australia. They begin the podcast with a recap of what’s in the bill, including how the government will determine what constitutes misinformation or disinformation. Coleman and Garman then unpack some unforeseen consequences of the bill, including how it may impact religious freedoms and genuine political discourse. The podcast wraps up discussing the government’s push to remove under-16s from social media. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Liam Garman is joined by senator for Queensland Matthew Canavan to discuss resource and food security, international politics and Australian domestic policy. The pair begin the podcast discussing voting trends in Australia and the results of the recent Queensland election. They then examine the need for a robust policy platform that supports Australia’s resources industry; protecting national sovereignty, delivering jobs and economic growth. Senator Canavan and Garman then unpack the economic impact of trade embargoes on Australia’s finances, before examining the need for effective biosecurity legislation to protect Australian farmers. Finally, the pair discuss the intersection between resources and building a skilled workforce. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, interviewer Defence Connect senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. Morrison, non-executive vice chairman of American Global Strategies, has recently announced a new role as chairman of Space Centre Australia, a planned spaceport in far north Queensland. He has also recently concluded a lecture at the Yomiuri International Economic Society in Tokyo in September. The pair discuss: The Australian government’s priorities for space and support of domestic space industry. The sudden blooming of interest in space innovation and its increasingly contested environment between international players. The AUKUS and QUAD alliances in regard to the Indo-Pacific. The upcoming US presidential election on 5 November and forecasts for Australian policy under a Republican or Democratic victory. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, co-host Liam Garman is joined by Steve Kuper, senior analyst and government relations manager at Defence Connect, to unpack deepening social tensions in the United States ahead of the US election. The pair begin the podcast discussing whether modern journalism, with a focus on opinion over reporting, has worsened the political divide in the US. Kuper and Garman then discuss Russian interference during the 2016 election and give insight into the Senate’s findings on how protest movements were exploited to achieve Russia’s political objectives. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson are joined by Dr David Kilcullen, former diplomat and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency senior research scientist, to discuss the moving evolution of conflict, tactics and military technology. The trio begin by discussing elements of complex warfare, how predictions change over time and the differences in warfare over the last 25 years. They also discuss the tactics and technologies of past and current conflicts, including those in use in Europe and the Middle East. Finally, they discuss the nature of resilience, innovation and technological expertise in current soldiery within defence forces and greater society. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and how state actors disrupt their non-state adversaries. The podcast begins with an analysis into the fragility of supply chains, examining the pager attack, and how adversaries can conduct espionage through acquisition. They then discuss strategies at disrupting non-state adversaries, including whether a decapitation strategy would work for Hezbollah in spite of its failure to disrupt irregular forces elsewhere. The podcast also examines the division that this represents in Australia, with announcements that the Australian Federal Police will go after those waving Hezbollah flags. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman invite Major General (Ret’d) Gus McLachlan back for a follow-up podcast, unpacking irregular warfare, information operations and military modernisation.  They begin the podcast discussing Russia’s “little green men” during the invasion of 2014, and how Russian units were able to take over swathes of Eastern Ukraine.  MAJGEN (Ret’d) McLachlan then unpacks his priorities in uniform in modernising the Australian Defence Force. The podcast then examines how two Russian nations were charged with laundering money to spread disinformation ahead of the US presidential election.  Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Joe Hockey, former Australian ambassador to the United States, joins hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper to discuss the continued importance of the Australia–US relationship. The trio begin by discussing the fallout of the latest presidential debate between contenders, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, touching on the implications for the bilateral relationship. They also discuss the role of grey zone warfare and information warfare efforts in the upcoming election and how they may shape the outcome. Finally, they discuss the importance of the partnership in helping Australia reindustrialise and build a truly sovereign defence industrial base, with a pathway forward to establishing an integrated Australian prime. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Andrew Hastie MP, shadow minister for defence and shadow minister for defence industry, joins hosts Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman to discuss how Australia must develop sovereign capability amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. The trio begin the podcast discussing how Australia needs to support Defence SMEs to deliver sovereign capability amid rising political uncertainty before looking into additional uses of Australia’s special forces capabilities. The shadow minister then discusses how decision makers must clearly articulate the grey zone and kinetic risks that Australia faces, and outlines what some of his key objectives would be in government. The podcast wraps up discussing Ukraine’s continued fight for freedom. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Major General (Ret’d) Gus McLachlan, former Commander Forces Command, joins hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman to unpack modern asymmetrical warfare: from the Taliban in Afghanistan to Chinese Coast Guard vessels in the Philippine Sea, and even how social media is spurring political divisions.    The podcast begins by analysing what grey zone warfare looks like in the modern geopolitical environment, from resource competition to militarisation of civilian capabilities to compel an adversary beneath the threshold of armed conflict.  The trio then discuss lessons from the Taliban in Afghanistan, including the utilisation of information to seize control of the narrative.  They then examine the need to seize freedom of manoeuvre in the online domain, and the risks of forfeiting social media.  Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson, inaugural head of the ADF’s Information Warfare Division, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the importance of long-range strike as a deterrent and how Australia is uplifting its cyber and information warfare capabilities.  MAJGEN (Ret’d) Thompson begins unpacking the benefits of establishing the ADF’s Cyber Command, drawing together the cyber capabilities of each of the services and enhancing the integrated force’s warfighting effects.  They then examine Iran’s cyber operations against the Republican Party in the US, and whether Australia and the US should consider expanding ANZUS.  The trio then discuss the acquisition of the B21 to provide redundancy as Australia procures nuclear-powered submarines and the need to develop clear doctrine across the electromagnetic spectrum.  Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Contested Ground podcast, where hosts Major General (Ret’d) Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack how nations vie for influence below the threshold of armed conflict. In this episode, the hosts unpack how foreign actors sought to stoke tensions during the recent English riots and how social media echo chambers have caused a deep division in society. The hosts then look closer to home and how the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) recently raised Australia’s terror threat level, analysing a range of factors that have contributed to this, including how communities responded to the 7 October attacks in Israel. They wrap up the podcast debating whether the government and police should monitor speech online, and to what extent. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team