As US policy toward its allies shifts and Australians’ trust in America declines, our Government continues to call the US our “most important ally”. With recent US actions regarding Ukraine, South Korea and the UK raising fresh doubts about America’s willingness or ability to support its allies, Australia is being forced to rethink its security. In this webinar, two experienced thinkers on peace and security discuss whether Australia can defend itself.

🎙 Speakers

Dr Albert Palazzo is an Adjunct Professor at UNSW Canberra in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He was formerly the long-serving Director of War Studies for the Australian Army and has written more than twenty books and monographs on the art of war. In his most recent book, The Big Fix, he argues that Australia needs a new approach to rebuild its national security.

Dr Allan Patience is an Honorary Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. He has been a Professor of Politics and Asian Studies in universities in Australia and Japan, and has held visiting academic appointments in China, Taiwan, Burma, Singapore and Papua New Guinea. He focuses on Australian foreign policy, is researching ethical values in International Relations theories, and is a regular writer for Pearls and Irritations.

Moderator

Lyndsay Free is a former Australian Army Major with 20 years’ service spanning military operations, international engagement and leadership. She deployed as a United Nations Military Observer in the Middle East, and her roles have included Chief of Army’s Scholar and Senior Instructor for the ADF’s Gender, Peace and Security courses. Lyndsay now works as a consultant with the UN Department of Peace Operations, leading the development of training for military and police peacekeepers on preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence.

Recorded on 28 October 2026.