Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks at 2026 ASPI conference [Photo: X/RichardMarlesMP]Under the federal Labor government, Australia’s role in the Iran war is that of an active co-belligerent. The escalating US‑led preparations for war with nuclear-armed China in the Indo‑Pacific are driving a relentless increase in Australian military spending. ASPI’s own analysis admits that “workforce” is now the single largest constraint on the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The session, “The Social Licence for National Defence: The Role of Media and Public Debate”, approached the same problem ideologically. During World War I, the Labor government of Billy Hughes attempted twice—in 1916 and 1917—to introduce compulsory military service through national referenda.