Over the last fortnight, events in the Middle East took a turn for the Armageddony after a US air strike killed Iranian major general Qassem Soleimani, and Iran retaliated by attacking US bases in Iraq.
With everything feeling quite precarious, Prime Minister Scott Morrison — acting with a speed that will no doubt surprise anyone who lost their house to the bushfires while he was in Hawaii — announced he was monitoring the events in Iraq and ready to do whatever was necessary to “keep Australians safe”.
So it’s worth bearing in mind that oversight of Australia’s war powers is practically non-existent.
As Clinton Fernandes, professor of international and political studies at the University of New South Wales told Crikey back in 2018, “the executive can send us to war with no oversight”.
“The constitution does not say anything about where the power to declare war lies,” said Fernandes. “There is no constitutional requirement for the Australian Parliament to give its blessing to anyone … There is no constitutional need even to debate the decision before it is made.”
Ultimately, it comes down to the defence minister (currently Linda Reynolds, who also copped flak for her holiday plans over Christmas). Section eight of the Defence Act 1903 states:
(1) The Minister has general control and administration of the Defence Force …
(2) In performing and exercising functions and powers under this Part, the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary must comply with any directions of the Minister.
So, if Morrison does opt for a Wag the Dog solution to his plummeting popularity, there’s not much anyone could do to stop him.
Declaring war is not the issue. I could be wrong, but I think the last time Australia “declared” war on anyone was in 1941. Been active in a few non-declared shows since then.
So who would he wag the dog with? New Zealand? Nauru? Tasmania?
As bad as things are, it could get worse. War in the Middle East, at least Israel will be on board.
And still money piles up in the sharemarket.
Go figure!
If you mean in terms of the Bush/Blair/Howard idiocy then : yes! But so what? Just who in Parliament (Reps or the Senate) has a clue as to the (1) Sykes-Picot Agreement or (2) the Balfour Declaration or the (3) ideology of Z-ism or (4) the Geneva Convention regarding Embassies residing in capital cities?
While you’re at it take a look at the original UN Declaration of 1948 regarding the region. Then we have uncle Sam removing an elected government in Iran and installing a stooge in 1953 over (yep 🙂 oil!
Something like a “Marshal Plan” could fix the region tomorrow but that would perturb the Z-ists who have an interest in the collapse of the region. However after a few centuries of Ottoman rule and a British and French Mandate the principals of ‘democracy’ are not uppermost in the minds of those living in the region. Egypt, in this regard, is a good example and despite Arab Spring(s) [Winter actually – the events occurred in February]
the entire North African region is not democratic as the term is known in the West; ditto for the African contentment in general other than for an exception or two.
Last year there was a glimmer of improvement in regard to your analysis Charlie; you are off to a VERY bad beginning for this year.
Parliamentary approval is only currently required for the introduction of conscription as I understand it. Australia’s power to declare war in its own right has historically been significantly constrained via our legal relationships, firstly with the UK as a member of the British Empire, a Dominion within the Commonwealth and Post War from our relationship with the United States and membership of the United Nations.
https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/0910/ParliamentaryInvolvement