This document discusses challenges facing Australia and opportunities for improvement. It notes that while Australia has historically had great economic success and a high standard of living, it now faces threats from geopolitical changes, technological advancements, and lack of strategic thinking. The document argues that leadership is needed to address these challenges through reforms like developing a national strategy, reducing political staffers, improving universities, and promoting policy competition to ensure Australia continues to thrive rather than just survive.

1. Thriving or Just Surviving?
Tough Choices in a risky
strategic age
Peter Jennings

5. Australia is a lucky country run
mainly by second rate people who
share its luck.
Donald Horne, The Lucky Country 1964

7. Australians attained the highest incomes in
the world by the mid-nineteenth century …
they have retained to the present a standard
of living that is not appreciably exceeded
elsewhere. Few economies have been as
successful over as long a period.
Ian W. McLean, Why Australia Prospered 2013

8. Threats to thriving …

9. Canberra consensus

10. Complacency

11. The political system

12. Absence of strategy …

13. What have we done well?

14. Regional stabilisation

15. RAAF modernisation

16. Policy development (?!?)

17. Modernised espionage
laws

18. Challenges

19. China-US

20. Speed of change

21. Hybrid threats

22. Technological change
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

23. The demands of leadership

24. Leadership costs

25. Leadership requires
decisions

26. Leadership raises
expectations

27. Individuals matter

28. What is to be done …

29. Strategy meetings for
Cabinet

30. Fewer political staffers

31. Electoral reform

32. University reform
World
rankings for
Australia’s
universities,
2017.
(SBS)

33. Public Service skills

34. Promote policy
competition

35. Red teaming in Defence

36. Questions
peterjennings@aspi.org.au