33 min
Who is in Command? Stay in Command
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- Non-Profit
In today's episode, we speak with Paul Barratt AO.
Paul Barratt was an Australian Government insider for well over 30 years. He entered the Australian Public Service in 1966 when Australia began committing troops to the war in Vietnam. Originally trained in Physics, his early roles were to look at issues arising from China’s emergence as a Nuclear power.
This brought him into the Intelligence Community through these years.
As his career progressed, he worked in senior positions in the Department of Trade, Primary Industry and Energy and the Business Council of Australia. Through 1998 and 1999 he was Secretary for the Department of Defence. It was this role that put him at odds with the government causing him to leave his career and become a vocal critic of how Australia goes to war.
He is the co-founder and current President of Australian for War Powers Reform.
Their aim is to change the legal decision making path that allows the serving Prime Minister to commit Australia to war without any debate or oversight.
He has been a high-end insider in most levels of the Public Service and Government and has seen the power entrusted to leaders misused. This he aims to change.
This discussion centres on reforming this power from the ‘Captains Call’ to parliamentary oversight. The direction then focuses on the development of Lethal Autonomous Weapons and how the decision to use them could be made.
In today's episode, we speak with Paul Barratt AO.
Paul Barratt was an Australian Government insider for well over 30 years. He entered the Australian Public Service in 1966 when Australia began committing troops to the war in Vietnam. Originally trained in Physics, his early roles were to look at issues arising from China’s emergence as a Nuclear power.
This brought him into the Intelligence Community through these years.
As his career progressed, he worked in senior positions in the Department of Trade, Primary Industry and Energy and the Business Council of Australia. Through 1998 and 1999 he was Secretary for the Department of Defence. It was this role that put him at odds with the government causing him to leave his career and become a vocal critic of how Australia goes to war.
He is the co-founder and current President of Australian for War Powers Reform.
Their aim is to change the legal decision making path that allows the serving Prime Minister to commit Australia to war without any debate or oversight.
He has been a high-end insider in most levels of the Public Service and Government and has seen the power entrusted to leaders misused. This he aims to change.
This discussion centres on reforming this power from the ‘Captains Call’ to parliamentary oversight. The direction then focuses on the development of Lethal Autonomous Weapons and how the decision to use them could be made.
33 min