26 OCTOBER 2015
Apart from the federal cabinet itself, Australia’s defence planners are a relatively small group – no more than two dozen decision-makers – and after Tony Abbott abolished the office of the National Security Adviser held by Dr Margot McCarthy, they are almost exclusively white, middle-aged, Anglo-European males. Many have a military background; all have been initiated into the operations of the intelligence agencies; all are respectful of the American alliance. While some have had diplomatic experience in the region – notably in Indonesia and China – almost all view the world through the reassuring prism of our “Five Eyes” intelligence relationship with the US.
Source: The Guardian