The best way for embattled Defence Minister Stephen Smith to repudiate the criticism that he has lost the confidence and respect of the defence force is to focus on his core job of providing strategic direction to his department. This means more than talking about cultural change or announcing the latest equipment purchase.
As the government’s chief spokesperson on defence, Smith needs to show intellectual leadership. He could start by articulating a persuasive strategic narrative to provide some much needed context for the government’s forthcoming white paper and defence policy more broadly.
This should include a fulsome explanation of the reasons for enhanced strategic co-operation with the US, since it appears the US presence in Australia will be more substantial than first thought. Providing port facilities for US submarines and aircraft carriers near Perth, and operating US surveillance aircraft from the Cocos Islands is a far different proposition from rotating a few thousand marines through Darwin.