FROM WARFARE TO WEALTH — Why parliament must decide before Australia goes to war

Our new series, WAR FOR THE RICH, is a progressive critique of the Federal Government’s defense and foreign policy conduct. Provides in-depth analysis of Australia’s $368 billion AUKUS commitment and the wider militarization of our economy.

It is planned to be held ahead of the ALP national conference (23-25 July), which will shape the Government’s policy platform and strategic direction for at least the next two years, in the hope that, alongside increasing pressure from wider society, these arguments against militarization may be convincing enough to make their mark.

This article is the fifth part of the From War to Riches: Redirecting Australia’s Future series. you can readother parts of this series HERE. The next episode will be released soon.

Part 5: Why does parliament need to decide before Australia goes to war?

Sending Australians to war should require the vote of Parliament, not the pen of a minister, writes former Federal ALP Senator Doug Cameron.

THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL lists all 103,000 deaths as a result of Australian military operations, including Korea, 340 dead, Vietnam, 524 dead, Afghanistan, 47 dead, and Iraq, five dead.

These deaths resulted from the decisions of the executive government, not the Australian Parliament.

Most of the deaths were caused by the Professor’s actions. Clinton Fernandes defines as ‘election wars‘, Unlike “wars of necessity”.

The Albanian Government’s recent decision to retain executive power to send Australians to war is, in my view, wrong and dangerous. This is also undemocratic, especially in Australia, where voters are necessarily engaged in the electoral system that elects the parliament and the senate to which the executive branch is appointed.

The government aims to maintain an exclusionary, outdated and undemocratic power that is incompatible with its stated goal of greater parliamentary transparency, accountability and oversight.

The Prime Minister became the first international leader to support the US attack on Iran in a speech in February this year. joint statement:

‘We support the United States taking action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security.’

This happened despite the United States and Israel acting contrary to international law and the so-called “rules-based order” that successive governments have supported with all their might.

The Labor leadership’s statements show how far we have subjugated ourselves to the US and highlight the growing reluctance of the caucus to challenge top-down decisions.

Acting Prime Minister on 16 June 2025 Richard Marles He stated that Australia would inevitably get involved In a conflict if a war breaks out between the USA and China.

No attempt was made to justify the reasoning behind this statement.

There will be no attempt to analyze the economic and social consequences of attacking our most important trading partner.

In 2022, Marles also defended:

‘Under Australia’s Westminster system of government, decisions regarding the deployment of the ADF in international armed conflicts fall within the exclusive powers of the Executive. ‘I am absolutely of the opinion that these regulations are appropriate and should not be disrupted.’

When the Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong When asked if there is an imminent threat from Iran, which is under attack by the US and Israel, replied:

“I leave it to the United States and Israel to discuss the legal basis of the attacks,” he said.

Wong attempted to justify this approach as follows:

“We are not at the center of the problems in the Middle East, but it is clear that we play a role in the international community.”

We were not at the center of problems in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, but executive privilege was used to send Australians to death and many more into lives of physical disability and mental health problems as a result of injuries sustained during these conflicts.

The Labor leadership’s statements show how far we have subjugated ourselves to the US and highlight the growing reluctance of the caucus to challenge top-down decisions.

Without checks and balances and parliamentary debate, more Australian troops could be sent to fight and die in overseas wars designed to maintain US imperialism and hegemony.

These examples also demonstrate the extent to which our sovereignty is lost when critical decisions are made that impact the survival of our Australian Defense Force (ADF) personnel are recruited by foreign powers and simply approved by our own Government without parliamentary consideration or debate.

We urgently need robust legal checks and balances on executive power.

Without checks and balances and parliamentary debate, more Australian troops could be sent to fight and die in overseas wars designed to maintain US imperialism and hegemony.

in 2015 Tom UrenThe Labor Party giant is dead. He was one of Labour’s biggest advocates for peace, nuclear disarmament and social justice.

It was an honor to walk shoulder to shoulder with Tom at Sydney’s annual event Palm Sunday peace marchWhere community groups, faith groups, concerned citizens and unions march against militarism and war.

Some of the current Labor MPs who now smear peace activists as “appeasers” and accuse them of being uninformed and living in the past have marched alongside Tom.

Their hypocrisy is colossal.

late in 2003 Simon CreanThe Labor Opposition Leader of the period displayed a principled and courageous attitude. speech He went to the National Press Club to oppose sending Australian troops to Iraq and called for them to be brought back to Australia.

Simon was anxious to explain the then Prime Minister’s determination. John Howard Joining the United States in an illegal war endangered our national independence.

Unfortunately, many of our current executive leaders do not exhibit the leadership, courage and ethics exemplified by Tom Uren and Simon Crean.

Simon Crean gave these assurances to the Australian people. speech To the National Press Club:

As Prime Minister, I will never allow our foreign policy to be determined by another country.

I will never engage in an unnecessary war when peace is possible.

And I will never send Australia’s young men and women into war without telling them the truth.

I would suggest an additional point to Simon Crean’s perfectly logical propositions; well:

No young Australian will be sent to war without a democratic decision after debate and decision by both houses of Parliament.

Lately Defense Legislation Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defense) Bill 2024 It was an attempt to give the impression that decisions to send Australians to war would be subject to greater scrutiny.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The legislation is based on existing legislation that determines the functioning of the institution. Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

This is among the weakest legislation in comparable democratic countries, including the US, Canada and the UK.

What the press generally describes is a denial of reality. PJCIS It is seen as “strong” when it lacks the capacity to monitor or investigate the operational activities of Australian security services.

The government acknowledges that: Parliamentary Joint Defense Committee modeled on PJCIS.

This is an example of form over substance.

The committee’s functions include:

taking into account publicly released documents on Australian defense strategies, planning and contingencies, such as the biennial National Defense Strategy;
examining the development, acquisition and sustainment of Australia’s defense capabilities, including an integrated investment programme;
In case the executive decides to engage in armed conflict, examining and providing information on war or war-like operations and ongoing conflicts; And
Monitoring the participation of Australian defense agencies in significant non-combat operations at home and abroad.

Applications submitted by legal experts, former military personnel, defense academics and concerned citizens to the joint investigation into decision-making processes in international armed conflicts were not taken into account.

Who would have thought that under Australia’s Labor Government Donald Trump would be Deputy Sheriff?

set up toothless Parliamentary Joint Defense Committee It will not increase democratic oversight of decisions to send Australian defense personnel to war – whose members are all vying for appointment to the leather-trimmed front bench. Nor will it increase transparency or accountability.

It perpetuates the failed and flawed decision-making that allows a handful of political elites to make life-or-death decisions by sending military personnel into battle.

I do not expect this in the future ALP National Conference It will challenge controversial national issues such as:

the democratic process of sending troops to war;
making Australia a high-profile nuclear target as a result of the crazy AUKUS “deal”;
under the guise of sacrificing our sovereignty to the United States Submarine Rotation Force – West;
facilitate the establishment of a US Naval base in Western Australia;
Turning a blind eye to US nuclear-armed submarines, B-52 bombers and F-22 fighter jets tindal In the Northern Region;
the “return” of 2,000 U.S. Marines in the Northern Territory;
increasing militarization of the economy and manufacturing sector; And
The consequences of siding with the United States in a conflict with China.

This is the inevitable conclusion, where strength comes before principle, where individual ambition comes before courage, where agreements are made and bitter debate is suppressed.

Many people abandoned peace for the sake of power.

Who would have thought that under Australia’s Labor Government Donald Trump would be Deputy Sheriff?

I can only hope that from the predetermined and controlled outcomes of the National Conference, a new Tom Uren will emerge, a new Simon Crean, who will challenge militarism, US hegemony, and the ugly claims of appeasement against those who are for peace and against militarization.

But we must do more than hope; We must educate, organize and fight for a more democratic, transparent and peaceful Australia.

Doug Cameron is a former ALP NSW Senator (2008-2019), Parliamentary Secretary for Housing and Homelessness and Shadow Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships.

This article, FROM WAR TO RICH, is the fifth in a multi-part series examining the true costs of our current defense trajectory and exploring the alternatives suggested by Make Peace a Priority (MPAP) offer.

Read other parts of this series: