The Australian Strategic Policy Institute is delighted to share a new publication Agenda for Change 2022: Shaping a Different Future for Our Nation, edited by Gill Savage.
Like the agendas ASPI published in 2016 and 2019, ‘Agenda for Change 2022’ is being released in anticipation of the federal election to act as a guide for the next government within its first months and over the full term. But there are differences this time around.
‘The 2022 agenda acknowledges that what might have served us well in the past won’t serve us well in this world of disruption’, says report editor Gill Savage.
While those initiatives may have been useful, they tended to perpetuate siloed thinking and actions, and downplayed interconnectivity. One example is the adverse impact that just-in-time supply-chain management is having on national resilience during the pandemic.
‘If government can only focus on a handful of impactful initiatives, Agenda for Change 2022 seeks to provide guidance on what should be pursued first’, comments contributing author Peter Jennings.
ASPI’s big ideas for 2022 sit under the banners of ‘Getting our house in order’ and ‘Australia looking outward’. The focus is on how Australia should innovate, bringing together intersecting opportunities to integrate economic prosperity, social cohesion, and national security, and how we can build resilience while celebrating diversity.
The publication explores the areas of trade and economics, nation building, social cohesion, democracy, and the space domain.
‘Our authors say we need to re-energise our contribution to our region, undertake a regional climate change risk assessment and connect strategic, technological and economic interests’, Ms Savage said.
‘In Agenda for Change 2022 I revisit my ‘four big problems’ from 2019 to see where we’ve landed. I advocate for an independent review of defence capability given the last one was conducted in 1986 by Paul Dibb. We also need to lift our strategic and diplomatic game in Southeast Asia, and DFAT needs to rediscover its policy mojo’, Mr Jennings said.
Agenda for Change 2022 is intended to promote public debate and understanding of issues of strategic importance to Australia. The key message is that we need to embrace uncertainty, engage with complexity, and break down the silos.
Watch a full interview with Gill Savage, Shaping a Nations Future here.
Read the Full Report HERE
