Historically since the ANZUS treaty was created in 1951, Australia has only been involved in wars that weren’t ours. Growing up in
Australia, I watched us become involved in multiple wars that didn’t really have anything to do with us and it wasn’t very clear what
the whole point of it all was. I grew up seeing horrific bloodshed and loss of life on TV in far away countries all because there were
supposed “weapons of mass destruction” that don’t appear to have even existed in the first place. That wasn’t our war and as an
Australian it really does scare me to consider the future when this precedence is in place. Will Australia blindly follow the US into
any war it decides to start? The ridiculous posturing from former US President Trump would have had us dragged in to multiple
wars and we all held our breath watching to see how it would turn out at the most tumultuous times over the last few years. If
things had gone sour, would we be in a war with our neighbours in Asia at this moment? And as there continues to be this back
and forth of posturing with China, if the US decides diplomacy has failed and a military response is needed, it worries me to think
that another country has the control over whether we fight our neighbours, many of whom now call Australia home. These
thoughts are what have driven me to write this submission today, and I hope this inquiry makes a difference when Australia is next
deciding whether we jump in and follow the US without question into another conflict. Our neighbours are not our enemies, and
instead of bolstering the budget for military expansion, this Australian would ask for more funding into foreign aid and a strong re-
commitment to international institutions and constructs of peacebuilding and peacekeeping. Thank you.
